Fall Away From Your Past
by GreyRENThead
Summary: Hannah starts living with me. Addison says she's Hannah’s aunt. Hannah freaks out because Meredith and I have secrets we don’t want her to find out. Addison gets drunk and tells me a little too much information. And now she’s pregnant? Seriously?
1. Tick Tock Tick Tock

**Post-Prom. What happens when someone from Izzie's past suddenly comes back into her life? How will she handle it? READ AND REVIEW!  
**

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_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

I was laying in bed, listening to the clock's subtle, yet present noise. I wiped the away the tears forming in the corners of my eyes. I'd finally given up my spot on the floor and had decided to lie in bed from now on.

They made me take my dress off. Cristina hid it in the back of my closet so I wouldn't see it as often. It didn't matter. I knew it was there. When they're all gone, away at work, I sometimes put it back on, just for Denny. But then I start to feel selfish. If I hadn't spent all my time changing my outfit, I would have been able to get to the hospital faster. If I had gotten there faster, Denny, the love of my life, would still be here.

These realizations only make life without him less bearable.

I sat up in bed, fully aware of the fact that I would _not_ be getting any more sleep that night. The clock, the one that won't stop ticking, read 3:53. It's three fifty three in the God damn morning and I'm wide awake. Maybe there's a reason.

I turn on my lamp and reach under my pillow, grabbing the photo album I'd made. It was full of pictures of Denny and I. After my shifts were over, I used to go visit him for a few hours. Sure, I barely had time for myself, but I loved Denny. Love was about giving yourself to another person. I gave myself to Denny, and look where I ended up. Alone, grieving for the one man I can't live without but will never get back.

I look back down at the photo album and see pictures of us playing Scrabble and having "picnics" together. We always had such a great time together. There was never a dull moment between us. Conversation rarely lacked, but when it did, it was only because we were both taking in the details that we loved about the other. The way his hair looked, smelled. That cute, little smile he flashed me right before he put a dirty word down on the Scrabble board. The way he always let me win our little tournaments. How he didn't complain when I woke him up at midnight to say, "Hi," because I had finally finished my shift then. And everything in between.

The phone rings.

I hear Meredith and George both groan when the phone doesn't stop ringing. They had gotten home around 11 and were exhausted, so I decided to pick it up to save them from any discontent.

"Hello?"

"Yes, hello. I'm Donna Walters and—"

"Do you know what time it is?" I cut her off.

"_Yes_," the woman said, clearly annoyed. "It's seven in the morning, why?"

"Yeah, well it's only four here, and we'd all _really_ like to get back to sleep if you don't mind." She didn't have to know that I had no interest in sleep. She'd never know I wanted to get back to remembering every little detail about my love.

"Ma'am, I'm pretty sure you're going to want to listen to me. It's about Hannah."

"H-Hannah. Why? What happened? Is she okay?"

"Relax, Miss Stevens. Hannah is perfectly fine. I'm afraid that I have some bad news, though."

"What? What is it?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Davis, her adoptive parents, are dead."

I _swear_ my heart stopped beating. "T-t-they're _dead_? But…how? I don't get it?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Stevens, but the Davises were killed in an automobile accident at five-thirty this morning. An eighteen wheeler hit them straight on, killing them both immediately."

I felt speechless, but I knew I had to say something. "Where was Sar…I mean, Hannah? Why wasn't she hurt?"

"She was at a friend's house. Her parents went away for the weekend and were returning home."

I released a breath I didn't know I was holding in. "How is she?"

"Hannah? She's still in shock. She's sitting in the next room with social services, actually, if you'd like to speak with her."

"_No!_ I mean, not right now. Thank you, though, for letting me know." I was about to hang up when I heard the woman scream, "Wait!"

"Yes?"

"That wasn't the main reason for my phone call."

"Well, what _was_ your reason, then?"

"The Davises will states that if anything were to happen to them, you'd become Hannah's guardian."

"Wait! What? Are you kidding me? I can't take care of a child! I'm a surgical int…well, I just can't, okay? I'm really sorry, ma'am. I wish there were something I could do, but there isn't."

"Miss Stevens, do you _really_ want to put her up for adoption again? I can place her in foster homes until someone decides to adopt her, but I'm telling you, she'd be better off in a permanent home. Foster homes aren't always the best places to raise kids. The constant shuffle from house to house can be overwhelming on a child that just suffered such a tragedy as Hannah did. I mean, the only parents that she ever really _knew_ were just _killed._ Not to make you feel pressured, miss, but do you really think you could do that to her?"

I mumble, "No."

"What?"

"No! I said no, okay? I'll do it. I'll take her."

"I believe you made the right choice, Miss Stevens. I'll take care of everything legal and I promise to keep you informed every step of the way. If everything goes smoothly, she should be in your custody by next weekend."

It was Sunday, which meant that I had about a week to prepare for this. _Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit._

"Okay. Thanks, I guess."

"You're very welcome, Miss Stevens. I'll be in touch, okay?"

"Alright. Goodbye."

"Bye."

I hung up the phone. _What the hell have I done? How am I going to handle this? And how the hell am I going to tell Meredith, George, Cristina, Alex…everybody?!_

Panic filled my mind. Silence filled the room. Fear racked my body. For once, my heartbeat was louder than the incessant ticking of the clock.

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.  
_

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**A/N_: Just in case you don't remember, Hannah is Izzie's daughter. She had her when she was a teenager and gave her up for adoption. She was named Hannah by her adoptive parents, but Izzie named her Sara for herself. _**

_**I really hope you like this so far! READ AND REVIEW please!**_


	2. The Tears Keep Flowing

**A/N- Thanks to all my reviewers for the positive feedback! I'm glad to hear that you guys liked the first chapter. Without further ado, here's chapter two!**

**-Kait**_**  
**_

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_(The Next Morning)_

For five hours I lay in bed awake, thinking of the mess I'd just gotten myself into. I can't take care of a child. Hell, I can barely take care of myself right now. I know I've been praying for something to fill the void Denny left in my heart when he died, but this was not what I was looking for.

I had put Hannah in my past. Sure, I thought about her from time to time, but I was positive that I did the right thing by putting her up for adoption. I wanted better for her than I could ever _dream_ of giving her. I didn't grow up with the luxuries I knew she would get if she was raised by a different family, a family who could spoil her and raise her in a house, not a trailer home in Chehalis.

Now I have to learn how to be a parent to a twelve year old in less than a week. There's no possible way I can pull this off. I just can't do it. I can't do anything anymore. Not without Denny. Not without a job. Not without getting my life back together.

But this…this I literally _have_ to do. I couldn't put her in a foster home. I couldn't abandon my child. I couldn't let her be shipped from house to house because _I_ wasn't ready to take on that big of a responsibility. No, this I was _doing_, and I was going to do it right.

I laid there for a few more minutes before getting up and starting breakfast. Today we were having coffee cake. The house was full of muffins, but I wasn't in the mood for them anymore. I was in the mood for something fresh, something new, and coffee cake was the first thing that came to mind.

I'm guessing the aroma woke George and Meredith up, because after I put the coffee cake into the oven, they came down to the kitchen asking what smelled so good.

They both said good morning to me and sat down after grabbing a mug of coffee. They made light conversation while I stood staring at the oven, watching the numbers count down on the timer. I think that they were still scared to talk to me. Scared that they'll offend me accidentally. Scared that they'll hurt me even more than I already am. But most of all, I'm sure they're scared of how I'll react to their questions.

If they only knew what was coming.

The timer beeped and I took the coffee cake out of the oven. Fresh, new coffee cake for my fresh, new life. Correction: our fresh, new life. I can't raise Hannah without the support of my friends, so she'll ultimately be _our_ child, not just mine.

I placed the coffee cake down on the table and took a seat. I remained silent while George and Mer kept on talking. I was thinking about how to tell them about Hannah, but I couldn't muster enough confidence to actually go through with it.

Their conversation ended and the turned towards me.

"Hey, Izzie," they both said.

"Hi," I said quietly.

"Um, do you know who called at four this morning? Because I thought I heard you talking earlier," George said.

My eyes shot open. _Great, now I _have_ to tell them about her._ "Uh, yeah. I know who called."

"Well, who was it? Is everything okay, Iz?" Meredith asked.

I couldn't take it anymore. I started to cry. I cried for Denny. I cried for Hannah. I cried for myself.

They both scooted over and sat next to me, hugging me and telling me that everything would be alright.

"Izzie, what's wrong? You're scaring us," George said.

"Everything's wrong, George. Everything! Denny's gone! The Davises? They're gone, too! And guess what? I'm getting a child! A _child_! I can barely take care of myself and I'm getting a child," I cried, clinging onto my friend's shirt.

Meredith and George stared at each other with confused looks on their face.

"Izzie, Izzie. Slow down. Who are the Davises? And why are you getting a child? You're scaring us, Iz. Please, just tell us what happened," Meredith said, rubbing my back.

I took a deep breath. "I don't know _how_ to tell you this."

"It's okay, Izzie. You can tell us anything. You know that, right," George said.

I nodded and took in another deep breath. I exhaled slowly and began to tell them what had happened. "I was sixteen. I was sixteen and I was scared. It was one time! One time and it turned the stick blue. I had sex _one time_ and I got pregnant," I started.

"Izzie—" Meredith tried.

"No! Let me finish." I sighed. "I went through with the pregnancy but I knew I couldn't keep the baby. I gave her up for adoption. I met with her adoptive parents, the Davises, before I had her. They seemed like a great couple and I knew they would make amazing parents. It was the hardest thing I've ever done, giving her up. You become so attached with your baby while she's inside you, and you don't think that once she's here you'll be able to let her go. But you have to. And I did. I gave her to the Davises and they raised her into a beautiful young woman. She's twelve now." I pulled out a picture of her from my pocket. "Her name is Hannah and she likes cows." I smiled.

Meredith and George were speechless. They sat there, picture in hand, staring at the little girl I brought into the world. The little girl I never thought I'd see again. The little girl I thought I was better off without. I guess things don't always work out the way we planned, now, do they?

Meredith looked up at me and spoke in a soothing voice. "Izzie, why didn't you tell us?"

"I…I didn't know how. I didn't know how you'd react. I didn't know how _I'd_ react. I still don't know how I feel about this, but I know I have to do this."

George spoke up. "Do_ what_ exactly, Izzie?"

"Last night the Davises were killed in a car crash. Their will stated that if anything were to happen to them, I'd get custody of Hannah. And Donna, the woman who called this morning, was from social services. She's the one who told me all of this. So…we'll be getting Sar—I mean Hannah, by the weekend."

Meredith and George each looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Neither one said a word, but just sat there with wide eyes and their mouths hanging open.

"I know that that was a lot of information to take in at once. I'll be here when you want to talk, okay?"

With that, I got up and retreated back to my bedroom. I locked the door, crawled under the covers, and cried. I cried, again, for Denny and Hannah and George and Meredith and myself and everyone else whose life changed, or is going to change, because of me and my stupid, rash decisions.

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**A/N- Loved it? Hated it? Review please!**


	3. I Deserve A Second Chance

**A/N: Here's chapter three. I'm getting these chapters a lot faster than I thought I would, but that doesn't mean it's always going to be this fast. This might be it for a few days. There _might_ be an update Tuesday, but on Wednesday I'm going to see _The Producers_ on Broadway with my English class, so I'll be back late. I'm _really_ glad to be getting such positive feedback from all of you! I _loveeee_ reviews, so keep 'em coming! **

**-Kait  
**

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_(Sunday, early afternoon)_

I cried myself to sleep, clutching Denny's sweater. When I woke up, Meredith and George were laying on my bed, rubbing my back and easing my pain.

I sat up in bed and looked around. I wondered how they got into my room after I locked. I wondered how they knew that what I needed most now was support. I wondered how I was going to do this. I wondered a lot of things.

"Izzie?" George asked.

I looked to my left, into George's big, green eyes. "Yes?" I replied.

"We'll get through this. You know that, right?"

I broke down and started to cry again. "How, George? How? How can I possibly get through anything anymore? I have _no_ Denny! I have_ no_ job! I have _no_ way of supporting her! Tell me, George, does that sound like someone who can do this, someone who can raise a daughter?"

George's face fell. He was only trying to help me and I yell at him, hurt his feelings, and bring his morale down.

Meredith broke the painful silence. "Yeah, Izzie, but do you know what you _do_ have?"

"What?" I said sarcastically.

"Us, Iz. You'll always have us. We'll help you out as much as we can and we'll be here for you every step of the way. We promise, _right_ George?"

"Of course, Izzie. We've always got your back," he said.

I wiped my years away. "Thank you. Thank you both for _everything. _I don't know where I'd be without you guys." I gave both of them hugs and asked them to leave the room so I could change. I put on Denny's sweater, the one I made for him when Meredith swore she was celibate. The one I wore all day just so it'd smell like me. The one that he never got the chance to wear.

I came back downstairs and found George and Meredith watching television together. I didn't want to bother them, but this was something I _had_ to do.

"I…um…I have a favor to ask of you."

They both looked up at me. "Yeah?" George asked.

"Can you, um, drive me to the hospital? I think it's time I talked to the chief."

This statement caught Meredith's attention. "Really, Izzie? Are you sure this is what you want to do?"

I took a deep breath. "Yeah, this is what I want to do. I think it's time. I have no way of supporting Hannah if I don't, so I _need_ to do this. So yeah, I think I'm ready."

"Okay, Izzie. Let me get my shoes and we'll go down there, okay?" Meredith asked.

I nodded. She stood up and went to the closet to get her shoes. George turned off the television and got up, walking towards the kitchen. As he walked past me, he whispered, "I'm proud of you, Izzie."

It was all I needed to hear.

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(_At The Hospital)_

We walked up to the main entrance of Seattle Grace. I had every intention of walking in, but when it came time to, I froze. I couldn't do it. I couldn't face what I had done. I couldn't even begin thinking about talking to the man who would decide my future, Hannah's future.

Meredith kept walking, not realizing that I had stopped. When she _did_ realize, she came running back to me.

"You okay, Iz?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. You go ahead in, okay? I'll be there in a second."

"You sure?"

"Yup."

"Okay, just let me know when you're done. I'm going to go down to the cafeteria and grab a cup of coffee and try to find Cristina or Alex. I'll have my cell with me."

"Okay." She began to walk away.

"Meredith! Wait!"

She turned around as I walked towards her, embracing my friend. She gently hugged me back.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"You're welcome."

I let her go and she walked over to the cafeteria. I took a deep breath, stood back, and surveyed the hospital. I never took the time to really look at it. It was beautiful. Maybe too beautiful. I don't belong here anymore. I don't belong anywhere anymore, not without someone by my side.

I have to suck it up, put on my big-girl panties and get over it. I have to do this for Hannah. Not for myself, but for Hannah. I need to be able to provide for her. I need to be able to be there for her. I need to be a great role model to her, and having a job, I guess, is a start.

One more deep breath and I was able to start walking inside. Co-workers, well, ex-co-workers, gave me dirty looks. Once civilized people, these doctors now looked at me as if they wanted to strangle me. Literally asphyxiate me right here in the middle of the hospital. Deep down inside, I kind of wished they had. It'd be better than the hell I was about to go through.

I walked to the Chief's office, and to my surprise, he was sitting inside at his desk. A little part of me wanted him not to be there, to be in surgery, just so I didn't have to face him yet. I didn't even know what I was going to say to him! I just knew I had to say something.

He looked up from his paperwork and saw me staring at him. He stood up and walked toward the door, opened it up, and allowed me to come in. He walked back to his desk and motioned for me to sit as well.

"Dr. Stevens, what brings you here?"

"No, not Dr. Stevens. Just Izzie, please. Just Izzie."

"Alright, _Izzie. _What brings you here?"

I took a deep breath. "If I don't do this now, I never will. Please, don't interrupt me. I just want to explain everything before you start to yell."

He nodded. "Okay."

I sighed. "I have a daughter. A twelve year old daughter. She was adopted right after she was born, but her adoptive parents died in a car crash this morning. Their will said that if anything were to happen to them that I'd get custody of her. So, she's coming next weekend.

"Look, I know what I did was wrong. You have every right to be angry with me. Maybe you don't want to look at me, talk to me, but I just need to explain myself. I told you before, Sir, I'm a pretty girl. I'm a pretty girl with a knack for surgery. Without being a surgeon, without this hospital, I have nothing. _Nothing_, Dr. Webber. I have nothing else going for me besides becoming a surgeon. I mean, I grew up in a trailer park in Chehalis. Believe me when I say I have _nothing_ else going for me.

"I'm talented, Dr. Webber. I'm not trying to sound overly confident or anything, but I'm talented. And I'm pretty sure you know that, too. If you don't think I have potential to become a great surgeon, please, by all means, ask me to leave. Just know that this is what I've dreamed of doing my entire life. I never had second thoughts about becoming a surgeon, actually. I told my mom that this was what I was going to do, and I stuck by my words. And while I had a significant lapse in judgment, I want you to know that I have learned from my mistake. I know that I went too far, crossed the line, but Sir, I won't let that happen again. Now I have another life to think about. A life that I want to keep protected. I can't protect her without a job. I can't protect her without the help of my peers. I can't protect her without _you_. I want you to be able to trust me again. I want to know how to gain your trust back because, Sir, having your trust back would mean the world to me. Please, Dr. Webber, consider what I've said. This hospital…it's my life. I don't know where I'd be if I lost it."

I stood up and began to walk towards the door.

"Thank you for letting me talk, Sir. It really means a lot to me."

I placed my hand on the doorknob and started to turn it.

"Izzie, sit back down. I'm not finished with you, yet."

I went back to where I was just sitting. "Yes, Dr. Webber?"

He sighed. "Izzie, it's not that I _don't_ want you in the program, because I do. You were right about yourself; you _are_ talented. Despite the fact that you get too attached to your patients and you don't make the greatest social decisions, you _are_ a talented doctor and surgeon. We've all made mistakes, Izzie. Maybe not mistakes as large as yours, but we've made mistakes. I've made mistakes. However, you're a talented girl, Izzie, and I don't want you to leave the program."

"Oh, thank you, Dr. Webber! You don't know how much this means—"

"I didn't say I was finished."

"Sorry, Sir."

"Now, you know that I can't just let you back into the program as if I completely forgot about your whole situation. You're going to be tested again so that you can reapply for the internship and you're going to have to be closely monitored if you pass. You'll ease your way back in. You can't just come back here like nothing happened."

"I completely understand, Sir. Thank you so much for this opportunity. I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome, Dr. Stevens."

_Dr. Stevens. _I never thought I'd be so happy to hear myself being called that. It was usually an everyday thing. _Dr. Stevens, do this. Dr. Stevens, run this to the lab. Dr. Stevens…everything._ But today…today it actually means something. It means that I'm good at what I do. It means I deserve a second chance. It means I can start over.

_Hold on tight. Wait for tomorrow. You'll be alright._

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**A/N: Wow, that was longer than I expected. I didn't think you would mind, though. : )  
The lyrics at the end are from _Heaven Forbid_ by The Fray.  
Loved it? Hated it? Review please!**


	4. The First Day Back

**A/N: Here's chapter four. Sorry about the wait for this. I went to NYC with school to see The Producers on Wednesday and I completely fell in love with the show. It was hilarious! Thursday was one hell of a day, so I was totally not in the mood to write anything. Plus, Grey's wasn't new this week so I was a little bummed. Hope you guys like this chapter! READ AND REVIEW PLEASE!**

**-Kait  
**

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It had been one long week. I tested back into the internship program at Seattle Grace and I was finally on my way back to the hospital. The chief is going to keep me under close watch and will only allow me to work six hours a day. I'm going to ease my way back in. Once he trusts me, he'll let me have different hours and more leeway. 

Meredith and George said that I've made a lot of progress. I stopped putting on my prom dress at night. I stopped crying myself to sleep. I stopped grieving as heavily as I did before. But what was I really grieving for, anyway? Of course I'll never be the same without Denny. Of course I miss him and need him and want him more than anything right now. But was I grieving for Denny or for myself? Had I gotten myself in too deep, in a position I couldn't get myself out of?

If I hadn't then, I definitely have now.

_A child._ A child is not something you can just forget about. Believe me, I've tried. I thought I had succeeded in giving her a better home, a better life, a better future. I couldn't give her those things at sixteen. I still can't give her those things now. As much as I want to, I can't. I tried falling away from my past, forgetting everything, but it seems like it's following me. I can't escape it. I can't escape him. I can't escape her. I can't escape myself. I'm stuck.

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_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

I find my way out from underneath my covers, my nice warm sanctuary, and slam the 'off' button on my alarm clock. It's five thirty in the morning and I most certainly do not want to get up. But I have to. It's my first day back at work.

I'm scared. I'm scared of how people will react to me being back at work. I'm scared that my patients will somehow know what I did and now want me as their doctor, as their surgeon. I'm scared that I'll forget everything I know just because of my Goddamn nerves. I'm scared that this job, after all I've been through, will begin making me less human. That because I crossed the line, fell in love and stole a heart, that this will be my consequence. That I'll become addicted to my job and never look back. That I'll ignore my daughter and my family and my friends, just so I can do what I know, what I love. Just so I can say that I stuck by my words when I said that I could do this. Just so I can say that I'm a surgeon. So, yeah, I'm scared.

Scratch that, I'm not scared. _I'm terrified. _

But I have to do this. I have no other choice.

At five, Meredith, George, and I piled into the Jeep and drove to the hospital. I sat alone in the backseat and tried to wrap my mind around what had happened in the recent past.

_I crossed the line._

_I fell in love._

_I stole a heart._

_I lost a lover, a friend._

_I cried._

_I quit the program._

_I cried._

_I mourned._

_I cried._

_I learn I'm getting my daughter back._

_I cried._

_I get my job back._

And now I'm here, preparing myself for a very big day. A day that I know won't involve much fun at all.

The clock reads six forty five. Rounds start precisely at seven. I have fifteen minutes to face my fears and walk back into that hospital, knowing that I literally can't turn back unless I want my daughter to suffer. There's no looking back now.

I told Mer and George that they could go ahead into the hospital, but they chose to stay with me. Mer said that the last thing she wanted to do right now was to leave me alone. She said that I needed her and George and that they weren't going anywhere without me. _Do I really deserve such great friends?_

We walked into the hospital in a group. Cristina and Alex had met up with us on the way in. No one really said anything. We just walked together with me, their weakest link, right in the center.

Colleagues stared at us like it was forbidden for us to be such a tight knit group, but there was no way things were going to change just for them. Stability was something that lacked in my life. It was something that I desperately needed. It was something I was finally beginning to achieve.

The five of us walked into the locker room and prepared for this morning's rounds. Chief told me to shadow one of the other interns today, so I decided to stay with Meredith. She was assigned to Dr. Montgomery-Shepherd' services at the moment. Cristina needed time to be alone with Burke, George was with Callie today, and Alex was…Alex. He wasn't someone I looked to for cheering up.

Meredith was assigned to a case that she thought would interest me. It was a little five-year-old girl with spherocytosis. She thought that being around children would help me find my maternal side. The thought was nice, but it made me nervous to jump right back into things.

I snapped out of my daydream when I heard Dr. Bailey addressing all the interns. She told everyone to get ready for rounds, except for me. She needed to speak with me. Meredith told me what room she would be in—Room 2619. I told her I would meet her there when I was done.

I waited for Bailey to come deeper into the locker room before we sat down.

"You wanted to speak to me?"

"Yes, Izzie. I just wanted to say welcome back. It's great to have you here again."

I was shocked. Bailey being nice? When did this happen? "Thank you, Dr. Bailey. It's great to be back."

She smiled. "Alright, well go shadow Dr. Grey. Just know that I see _everything_. You slip up and you're out, you hear me?"

"Yes, Dr. Bailey." And with that, I got up and went to find Meredith. I found her in the room she told me, tending to the little girl who was fast asleep. I walked in and found the girls' mother and father and Addison Montgomery-Shepherd standing over the bed, Meredith off to the sides.

"Ah, Dr. Stevens, great to have you back. Dr. Grey, will you present?" Addison asked.

"Sure. This is Kara Robins, age five. She's been diagnosed with hereditary spherocytosis and is scheduled for a splenectomy and cholecystectomy this morning," Meredith said.

"Dr. Stevens. Spherocytosis?" Addison asked.

"Spherocytosis is a genetic disorder of the red blood cell membrane. The red cells are smaller, rounder, and more fragile than normal, having a spherical shape rather than the disk shape of the normal red cell. They're fragile and less flexible than normal red cells and tend to get trapped in narrow blood passages, particularly in the spleen, and there they break up, leading to hemolytic anemia. Basically, it means that her new red blood cells are misshapen and her spleen kills them because it thinks they're old blood cells."

"Very good, Dr. Stevens. And why is she having a cholecystectomy along with the splenectomy?"

"Gallstones are a symptom of this disease, so the removal of the gallbladder will ease Kara's discomfort and correct the problem."

Addison smiled. "You've been doing your homework, Dr. Stevens. Excellent job. Dr. Grey and Dr. Stevens, prep Kara for surgery."

We nodded and got the little girl ready for surgery. Her parents went out of the room to sign some paperwork and Meredith went to the supply closet to grab something she needed.

Kara looked up at me. "Hi! I'm Kara! What's your name?"

I smiled down at her. "I'm Izzie."

"Can I ask you a question, Izzie?"

"Sure, Kara."

"Am I gonna die? Because my grandpa had surgery but he died. Am I gonna die, too?"

Her words, they broke my heart. This was pretty deep coming from a five-year-old. "No, sweetie. You're not going to die. Not on my watch. Remember your doctor, Dr. Montgomery-Shepherd?"

"The one with the red hair?"

I nodded. "She's the one of the _best_ surgeons out there. You're safe with her."

She smiled. "Really?"

"Really."

"I have another question!"

I laughed. She was a bundle of energy, but I really liked her. "Okay, what is it?"

"Can I bring Teddy with me?" She held up a battered, old teddy bear. Its stitching was coming loose and its fur was coming off, but she didn't seem to mind. To her, Teddy was as good as new.

I laughed. "Of course Teddy can come along! You wouldn't want him to miss out on this, would you?"

"Nope," she said with a laugh.

_Laughter._ It was refreshing. All I've heard for the past few weeks was bad news after more bad news after more bad news. Laughter lacked in my life, but Kara brought it back to me. I started to realize that having Hannah back wouldn't be so bad after all. Maybe she'd make me happy. Maybe she's the thing I was looking for all along. Maybe this was destined to happen. Fate works in mysterious ways, and for once, maybe fate worked in my favor.

Meredith was standing in the doorway while Kara and I were talking. She prepped her for surgery and we brought her down to the OR together.

"I saw you two, Iz. You never told me how _great_ you were with children."

I blushed. "I'm not that great. She's five, Mer._ Anything_ excites her."

"But still, you're great with kids, and you'll be great with Hannah. I just thought you'd like to know how I felt. I'm proud of you, Izzie. I'm proud of the responsibility you've instilled in yourself. I can tell already that you're going to make a great mother to Hannah."

"Wow. Thank you. You don't know how much that helped, Mer. I've felt so alone in this whole thing, like I'd have to do this on my own and I'd be horrible at it. But I guess I'm doing something right if you really think I can do this."

She smiled. "You're _not_ alone and you _can_ do this. Have a little faith in yourself, Iz. You deserve it."

_You hear that? I _deserve_ it.  
_

* * *

**A/N: Just thought I'd let you know that I'm definitely not a doctor and I'm not one hundred percent sure about the medical facts used in this chapter. However, the disease mentioned, spherocytosis, is the blood disease that I have. I, too, was five when I had all of this happen to me and I thought it'd be cool to incorporate it into this story. If anyone has any questions, just let me know. This isn't the end of Kara, so you'll get to see how her surgery goes and all that jazz. Okay, I'm gonna shut up now. I know you didn't read this chapter just so you could get to read my amazing author's notes. )**

**REVIEW, PLEASE! THANK YOU!**


	5. Nervous, Scared, But Happy

**A/N: I'm SO sorry about the wait for this chapter! I know it's been almost a week since I've updated, but I've been busy. So…here's chapter five! Hope you guys like it! Remember, REVIEW please :)  
**

* * *

Dr. Montgomery-Shepherd didn't have Meredith and I scrub in. She felt that on my first day back I needed to take baby steps. You know, easy my way back in. 

_I'm sick of people saying that._

I get it! I get that I made a mistake and that I need to live with it, but when it's all everyone ever talks about, it's not so easy to live with.

_Ces't la vie_. Life goes on.

Kara pulled through her surgery without any complications. She should return home as a, _finally_ healthy child and live a normal life. Hers is one of those cases that you just can't help but smile over. This little girl, this five year old girl with a life threatening disease, is going to be just fine. Kind of makes me realize that I'm going to be fine, too. If _she_ can do it, I can do it. And I'm not going to look back.

* * *

Today was Saturday, which meant that I had less than twenty four hours until Hannah is in my custody. How scary is that? I mean, it's not like I've had much time to prepare or anything. It just…_happened. _And as scared as I am to go through with it, I'm actually really excited. I realize that putting her up for adoption was the best I could give her twelve years ago, but I've really started to understand the reality of what I'm about to do. It's a scary job, being a mother. But it's something I'm willing to do. 

Working with Addison, I began to understand how scary it is to become a mother. I mean, I know that I already did it once, but I birthed Hannah fully intending to give her up. I didn't need to worry about what to feed her, how to raise her, what values to instill in her. I put that load on someone else. But now…now's my chance to show the world one of the few things I've done right in my life. _And I can't wait.  
_

* * *

After shadowing Meredith for the rest of the day, my shift was over. I had time to kill before Meredith's shift was over, so I decided to visit Kara one last time since I wouldn't be working tomorrow. I walked down to her room and knocked on the door. 

"Come in," I heard her father say. I opened the door and when Kara saw me, her eyes lit up.

"Izzie! You came to visit me and Teddy," she said, excitement clearly showing in her voice.

I smiled. "Yep! I came to make sure you two were okay." I took her hand in mine. "How're you feeling?"

Her parents smiled at me and walked out of the room, giving us some privacy.

"I feel good. Teddy has a tummy-ache, though." She lifted up the bear's shirt, which happened to be a miniature hospital gown, and revealed a bandage.

"Mommy says that when you get an owie, if someone kisses it it'll be all better. I kissed his owie but he telled me it still hurts. Can you kiss it better, Izzie?" She placed the bear in my arms and waited for my answer. _This girl is adorable,_ I thought.

I smiled down at her and picked the bear up, giving him a big kiss on his stomach. Then, I gave her back her teddy. "There? Is he all better?"

She lifted his face to her ear and waited for his answer. She smiled. "Yeah! You kissed it better, Izzie!" She was so excited that she started to sit up, but fell back down in pain.

"Sweetie, don't try to sit up. It's going to hurt for a while, but I promise you that you'll be better soon. How 'bout I come visit you soon, okay? Maybe I'll bring you someone to play with. How's that sound?"

"That sounds fun!"

"Okay, sweetie. I'll be back to see you soon. Feel better!" I bent down and gave her a hug, light enough so that I wouldn't hurt her sore stomach.

"Bye, Izzie!"

I gathered my things and walked out of the room, letting her parents know that it was okay for them to come back in. I said goodnight to them and went to the lobby to wait for Meredith and George.

* * *

_The Next Day-_ 7:00 a.m. 

I barely slept at all last night, so it's no surprise I'm awake at this hour. Technically, I could still be sleeping, but who could sleep on a day like this? I was laying in bed all night thinking about today, how I would see my daughter for the first time in almost twelve years. Sure, I've seen pictures of her and had updates on how she's doing; the Davises sent me pictures and letters every year. But a picture and a short letter doesn't do justice to meeting someone in person.

I got up and decided to make a nice breakfast for my friends. They've been nothing but supportive of me and they deserved something nice. I gathered the ingredients and began to make blueberry and strawberry scones using my mom's special recipe. Even though I didn't have much growing up, she always found a way to buy ingredients to bake with. There'd never be a day when there wasn't anything freshly baked at home.

When the scones were finished baking, I took them out of the oven and placed them on the kitchen table. Like always, George and Meredith came out of their rooms wondering what smelled so great.

"I made scones," I said, my voice emotionless.

"We see that," George said. "They look really good."

I smiled. "Thanks." I sat down and they soon followed after me. We began to eat in silence until Meredith spoke.

"How are you, Izzie?"

"I'm fine, Mer."

"No,how are you _really?_ Today's the day. I mean, you can't be _fine._"

"Okay. No, I'm _not_ fine. But I'm trying to keep my composure so I don't start to freak out and pull some sort of stunt and run away. I'm excited to see her. I'm excited that I'm going to get to know her. But it's weird, you know, to go from this," I point to myself, "to a mother in the blink of an eye. It's going to change _everything_ and I feel bad because I feel like I'm imposing on you guys. I can't do this on my own. I know that. But I feel bad asking you guys to help me."

Meredith and George each took one of my hands. "Izzie, you don't have to feel bad. You've been here for both of us, am I right, Meredith," George asked.

Meredith nodded. "That's right. And I know you're scared and I know you feel helpless, but I promise it'll get easier. We'll always be here for you _and_ Hannah no matter what. We told you before, Iz. You're not in this alone."

This comforted me. I always knew that they both had my back, but it felt so much better to hear it coming from them instead of me imagining it. I have support. The next thing I need in my life is stability.

We ate the rest of our breakfast in silence and at 8:30, I realized that I had to go get ready. Meredith and George had left to get ready for work a while ago, but I opted to sit here and enjoy the quietness. It wouldn't be like this for much longer. I give her a couple of weeks until she turns into a full-fledged pre-teen, hormones racing and whatnot.

I dragged myself up the stairs, my tiredness starting to kick in. I took a shower, did my hair, and put on the outfit that I picked out for today. I wore jeans, a black t-shirt, black boots, and an oversized turquoise necklace. Chic and sophisticated without over-doing it.

By now, Meredith and George were gone, but Meredith's car was still here. They had Cristina and Burke pick them up on their way to Seattle Grace so I could use the car today. They thought that I should take Hannah out for a 'girl's day.' You know; go shopping, get a manicure and pedicure…the whole nine yards. I didn't know how well that would go over, but we'd just have to wait and see.

By the time I finished getting myself ready, it was 10:00. I had to be at social services in a half hour. I grabbed my bag and my coat, took one last look in the mirror, and was out the door.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later I found myself sitting in the parking lot of the social services office. I was fine up until this moment. I was nervous, yes, but Meredith and George helped me through that. Now I had no one. I was all alone. 

But not for long.

I kept reassuring myself that everything would work out, that she wouldn't hate me for giving her up in the first place. I just wanted to bring her home and love her like nothing had happened. Like I never gave her up in the first place. Like she'd been here all along.

That's what I _wanted_ to do, not what was _really_ going to happen.

It was 10:20 now and I decided that I'd better get inside. I walked up the stairs of the building, went inside, and found myself in the lobby.

I walked up to the receptionist. "Hi, I'm Isobel Stevens. I'm here to see Donna Walters," I said with a smile.

"I'll call her down. Please," she pointed to a few chairs, "have a seat."

"Thank you."

Donna walked into the room a few moments later. "Isobel, it's so nice to finally meet you. I'm Donna Walters," she said as she shook my hand.

I stood up and shook her hand as well. "It's nice to meet you, too, Miss Walters."

"Oh, please, call me Donna."

I smiled. "Alright. It's nice to meet you, Donna." I smiled at her. She smiled back.

"I believe we have someone waiting for your arrival, am I right?"

I nodded. "Yes, you do."

"Okay, well let's go down to the room she's in," she said as she started to walk down the long hallway.

"Wait! Um, before we go, I have a question."

"Sure."

"How is she? I mean, I know this must have been a tragic incident for her, but is she emotionally stable? Or is she having bouts of depression? Will my presence just make her worse or do you think she'll be better off with me?"

"You have nothing to worry about. She's a great kid, and even though she's just gone through all of this, she's doing okay. She's not self destructive, just emotionally weak. She misses them a lot, but I think that you'll be able to help her. She knew she was adopted all along. She knows exactly who you are. The Davises kept a book of everything you've ever sent them and she's been surrounded by it her whole life. I think that, if anything, she'll enjoy being around you and enjoy the fact that she finally gets to meet her birth mom. She told her parents that she always wanted to meet you, but they didn't think it was such a great idea at her age. But trust me, Izzie, you two will be fine. I promise."

I smiled. "Really? She always wantedto get to know me?"

She nodded. "Yes, she did, and she still does, but standing here isn't going to get you two reunited any faster. Let's go."

I followed her down the hallway, happy to know that I wasn't the only curious one. I can't believe she knew about me the whole time. If I adopted a child, I'm not sure if I would tell them they were adopted or not. I think it'd make the parent-child relationship more awkward than it needs to me. But I guess it worked out in my favor in the long run.

Donna was a few steps ahead of me, already at the door. She stopped before she opened it. "You ready?"

I took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm ready. But is _she _ready?"

"I'll check. You stay out here for a moment, okay?"

"Okay." I watched her disappear into the room, closing the door behind her. I could hear most of what they were saying, and from what I could make out, she seemed really excited. At least I'm not alone in this. I'm scared. I'm nervous. But I'm _happy._ I haven't been happy in a while, but it's finally happened. As much as I want Denny to share this experience with me, I've come to terms with the fact that he _can't_. I'm not completely over him, but I've started to move on. For my sake. For Hannah's sake. For _everyone's _sake.

* * *

**A/N- I really hope you liked it! Just to add…Kara is like a mini version of me. The teddy bear she has, the one with the hospital gown and the band-aid, is real. When I had my splenectomy and my cholecystectomy when I was five, I got the same teddy bear. Not that I asked an intern from Yale to kiss my teddy bear's stomach or anything, but I just thought it'd be interesting to incorporate more of actual events or things into the story. **

**Next chapter is when Izzie and Hannah finally meet! Hope you like it! As for now, REVIEW PLEASE! They make me insanely happy, and an insanely happy Kait is much better than a sad one! Although, I can't be sad for much longer since _Grey's_ is on tonight!**

**Thanks for reading! -Kait**


	6. Girly Days and Boat Rides

**A/N- Here's chapter six. Hannah finally meets Izzie. Hope you like it. Review, please!**

* * *

_Time stopped._

All I could hear was the incessant _tick-tocking_ of the clock to my left. I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. When Donna came back out to let me know Hannah was ready to meet me, I couldn't function. It's like a game, actually. I get almost to the finish line when I chicken out and run away. I thought I was ready, but I can't do it. _I'm going to be a horrible mother. _

I found myself sinking to the ground slowly, my stiff back sliding down the hard wall. This was how Donna found me. Without looking down at me, she said, "Izzie, she's ready to see you now. She's waited almost twelve years for this, okay? Don't ruin this for her." _Way to kick me when I'm down._

Her 'kicking' helped, actually. Made me realize that I wasn't the only one this situation was affecting. The world didn't revolve around me; it just took time for me to realize that. So, I stood up, took a deep breath, and braced myself for what was about to happen. I cleared my throat and walked into the room, coming face to face with my daughter for the first time in almost twelve years. Words weren't needed. We stared at each other, mentally noting every little detail about each other's appearance. Without a doubt, Hannah was my child. She was like a mini-version of me, and she was beautiful. I wanted nothing more than to scoop her up into my arms and tell her how much I love her and how much I missed her all these years.

But I didn't.

I thought it would be kind of awkward, you know? Maybe it'd make me seem too touchy-feely for her liking, and I wanted to keep her comfortable. Instead, I sat down across from her.

She broke the awkward silence. "Hi, I'm Hannah. You must be Isobel," she said, sounding perky.

"Yes, that's me. But you can call me Izzy, okay? No one calls me Isobel anymore," I said, a smile forming on my face.

"Okay, Izzie." Silence swept over the room. Neither of us knew what to say, but then I remembered…

"Oh! I almost forgot! I bought you something," I said as I opened my purse. I pulled out a small gift bag and slit it across the table to her.

She smiled. "Thanks!" She opened it, and pulled out a cow stuffed animal. "A cow!? How'd you know I love cows? She's so cute! I'm gonna name him Mr. Moo!"

I smiled back at her. "I'm glad you like him. And to answer your other question, your mom and dad sent me letters and pictures of you each year. They wanted me to still have the chance to know what type of person you became even if I never saw you."

"Seriously?"

Oh, God. She definitely was mine. "Seriously."

Her smile beamed from ear to ear. "I drew you a picture! Let me find it." She rummaged through the pocket of her jean jacket and pulled out a photo and a drawing. She slid it over to me.

I picked it up and looked at it, tears forming in the corners of my eyes. In front of me was a picture of Hannah and I the day she was born. I was holding her in my arms and looking down at her as she stared up at me with her light brown eyes that matched my own. She had drawn an exact replica of the photo and she did an outstanding job.

"It's my favorite picture," she said. "I kept it on my nightstand and looked at it everyday. I always wanted to meet you, but mommy said that I'd have to wait until I was eighteen."

"Oh, Hannah, it's beautiful. Thank you so much." I looked at the drawing once more. "Did you trace this or draw it freehand?"

"Free hand. Why?"

I was astonished. "It's amazing. You're a great artist. Much better than me, anyways."

If possible, her smile grew wider. "Really? Thanks! I've always wanted to be an artist."

"That's cool. You're really good, though. I think you'd make a great artist when you grow up."

"Thanks! So…what are we doing today? Can I go see where you live?"

"Sure! We're going back to the house after we leave here and then we're going to have a 'girl's day'. How's that sound?"

"Great! But what's a 'girl's day'?"

"Oh, I think you'll like it. It had endless possibilities. We're gonna go shopping, get our nails done, pick out stuff for your new room. You know, stuff like that. Does that sound fun?"

"Yeah! Can we leave now, though? Because this place is kind of dreary, if you know what I mean."

"Sure. I think I have to sign a few papers before we leave, but get everything ready and we'll leave as soon as we can."

"Okay." She gathered all her belongings that she had with her. Her larger items, such as clothes, shoes, etc., were with Donna. We're going to pick them up before we leave.

I went out of the room and found Donna. She had me sign all sorts of forms, and about ten minutes later, we were ready to hit the road. Hannah said goodbye to everyone that had helped her out throughout the past week, and we were on our way. We chatted the whole ride home, talking about my friends and my job and her life back home. For someone who just lost both parents, she sure seemed _okay_ with it. A week after I lost Denny, I was no where near as happy as she was. It seemed as if she had no pain, that she suffered no losses.

It was _weird. _

We pulled up to the house about twenty minutes later.

"So, this is it. Your new home. How do you like it?"

"It looks nice so far, but what I really want to see is my room!"

I laughed. "Hold your horses, missy. You'll see it soon enough."

She joined my laughing. "Okay, okay."

We took some of the smaller items with us into the house and left the rest for another time. I gave her a tour of the house, saving her room for last.

She opened it and squealed in delight when she saw what was in it. George and Meredith took it upon themselves to give Hannah a beautiful pink room, filled with cows galore. She had a white sleigh bed with a hot pink duvet, a white desk with pink accessories, and cow stuffed animals lining the room. Where they got the time or the money to do this is beyond me, but it really makes me feel great to know I have such amazing friends who care about me _and_ my child. A child that they've never met. A child that they may not even like (though I don't see that happening).

After she put her things in her room and got adjusted to the house, she asked if we could start our 'girl's day'.

We headed out to the car and buckled ourselves in. "Okay, it's your day. You tell me what you want to do."

"Seriously?"

_There we go again. _"Seriously."

"Okay! Well, first I think we should go get something to eat. And then we should go get our nails done. And then we should go to the mall. And then we should go meet your friends Meredith and George and Cristina and Alex and…is that it?"

I laughed again. "You sure have a good memory. And no, that's not _it. _But they're the other surgical interns that I work with. They're like my family. I don't know where I would be without them."

"Aww, now I miss _my_ friends."

"I'm sorry, Hannah. I shouldn't have said that."

"No, it's okay. I'd have to face reality sooner or later. I'm just glad I wasn't alone."

She's really something, isn't she? She's almost twelve and she's acting like an adult. Impressive.

I took her hand. "I'll be here if you want to talk about it, okay?"

She smiled. "Thanks."

"So, what about that food you're craving? What're you in the mood for? Chinese? Italian? Mexican?"

"Indian."

"Indian?"

"Indian."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"Wow. Wouldn't have pegged you for someone who likes _Indian _food of all things."

"Really? Why?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, exactly, but most eleven year olds don't like spicy food."

"Ah, that's because I'm special."

I laughed. "That's right. You _are_ special."

She laughed. "So, where are we going?"

"We are going to Masala-a really good Indian place on the water. It's beautiful."

"Yay! Are we there yet?"

"No…we're still driving. We'll be there in about two minutes. You think you can wait that long?"

"Nope!"

"Well, what're we gonna do about that, then?"

"Music!" She turned on the radio to Star 101.5, a pop station. "Ahh! I love this song!" She began to sing _All At Once _by The Fray. I joined in with her and we sang all the way to the restaurant.

"We're here," I said. We got out of the car and walked into the restaurant. We were seated at a table overlooking the beautiful Pacific Ocean.

"I've never seen the ocean before. It's beautiful. Do you think we could go on a boat ride or something?"

"Sure. I have just the place, too. When we're finished with our 'girl's day' we'll take a ride, how's that sound? And after that we can go home and meet Meredith and George."

"That sounds fun. But tell me more about your friends. They sound really nice."

I took a sip of my Diet Coke before continuing. "Yeah, they are. You'll like them, I promise. But what do you want to know about them?"

"I don't know. I mean, I guess I'll get to know them soon, but I like having a background of people before I meet them. So let's talk about George. What's he like?"

"Okay, George is…George. He's a total sweetheart and he'll do anything for his friends. He's always there when you need him. He's like the brother I never had. I think you two will hit it off right away."

"And what about Meredith? Isn't she the daughter of that breakthrough surgeon Ellis Grey?"

"Yeah, how'd you know that?"

"Oh, I know things."

"You do, eh?"

"Yup. Okay, describe Meredith now."

"Okay, okay." I took a bite of my food and continued telling her about my friend. "Meredith is such a sweet person. She's really driven and she's strong, but she's down to earth, too. She's got herself in a sort of predicament at the moment…it's going to be interesting to see her get herself out of that one."

"Ooh, a predicament? What happened?"

"Uh…we'll save that for another day, okay?"

She sighed. "Okay." I didn't think telling her about the whole McDreamy-Meredith-Finn situation would be the right thing to do at the moment. Another time would be better.

We finished our lunch and set off on our 'girl's day'. We got matching manicures and pedicures and then went to the mall. I bought her a few things for her room along with a few new outfits for school. We bought the clothes and accessories home and decided to relax for a little while before we went on the boat ride. I planned on buying a little something to eat on the boat since we had a late lunch, so we watched television before we left.

Around six, we headed toward the docks. "Where're we going, exactly?"

"You'll see. It's a surprise."

"Okay…will I like it?"

"I hope so."

"'Kay." She yawned.

"Are you tired," I asked.

"A little, yeah. Why?"

"Oh, nothing. I'm just warning you-you've got a long night ahead of you."

"Why?!"

"Oh, you'll see."

She giggled. "Okay."

I parked the car and when she saw the ferry boat, she squealed with delight. "I've never been on a ferry boat before! This is so cool! Thanks," she exclaimed as she ran over and hugged me.

I hugged her back. "You're welcome, Hannah."

Our boat ride was beautiful. Her eyes never left the beautiful scenery displayed before her and she seemed to have a lot of fun. I bought us hot chocolate and cookies to eat as we drifted along the water.

When the boat docked an hour later, we stepped off and walked back to the car. "I had a lot of fun today, Izzie. I'm really glad I'm staying with you, now. I think you'll be a great mom."

If possible, I loved her even more. Little sayings, little gestures like this, truly made my day. I know I've only had her for less than a day but I can already feel myself getting attached to her, loving her unconditionally. Her adoptive parents did a great job in raising her, and I hope that I can do just a good a job as they did.

As we were driving back to the house, Meredith sent me a text message. It read: EVERYTHING IS READY WHENEVER YOU ARE. GET HERE ASAP –MER

* * *

**A/N- Hope you guys liked this chapter. I know Hannah seems too happy for a kid who just underwent a major change in her lifestyle, but don't worry; she won't be this perky and chipper for long. REVIEW and I'll update sooner!**

**Read and Review, guys! -Kait**


	7. The Party With No Liquor

**Here's chapter seven! Hope you like it! And I comepletely forgot to put a disclaimer in the preceding chapters, so here it is: _I don't own Grey's Anatomy. If I did, I most definitely would not be writing stories on this site. I would be basking in the glory that is owning the show. :)_**

**Got it? Okay, then. Hope you like it! I really want more reviews on this. I know you guys are reading. I don't know _who,_ per say, but I know you are. REVIEW, PLEASE!!!**

**-Kait  
**

* * *

_As we were driving back to the house, Meredith sent me a text message. It read: EVERYTHING IS READY WHENEVER YOU ARE. GET HERE ASAP –MER  
_

* * *

Hannah looked over at my cell phone when she saw that I was reading the text. "What's that?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing. You'll see," I replied.

She saw through me. "What did you do?"

I smirked. "Oh, nothing. Like I said, _you'll see._"

She sighed playfully. "Okay."

I smiled and kept on driving towards the house, becoming more and more excited as time passed.

When we arrived, Hannah was shocked to see so many cars parked outside of the house. "What's going on?"

I tried to keep a straight face. "Nothing. This is normal. A lot of people live around here."

She was skeptical. "Okay, I'll try to act like you're not lying to me. Not sure if I can do it much longer, though."

I laughed. "Did anyone ever mention to you how sarcastic you are?"

"Only about every day of my life. Thanks for noticing, though," she said with a genuine smile.

We got out of the car and walked up the steps. I heard Meredith start to tell everyone to be quiet, so I started to talk to Hannah to hide her voice.

"Here we are. Home sweet home."

"Yeah. Can we go inside, though? I'm kind of tired."

"Sure," I said, hoping she wasn't _that_ tired. I unlocked the door and walked into the pitch black house, Hannah following closely behind me.

"Why's it so dark?"

"I don't know," I said as I flipped on the light.

"SURPRISE," everyone shouted. Meredith, George, Alex, Cristina, and anyone else who could manage to get the night off was in the living room, shouting to Hannah.

Hannah's smile, if possible, grew even wider. She stood there, looking back and forth at me and the partygoers, speechless. "Wha…how…why…who…" she tried to say.

I laughed. "Guys, this is Hannah. Hannah, this is everyone." They all said hello to Hannah and she said hello back. I pointed out George, Meredith, Alex, and Cristina, the few people that I mentioned to her.

She surveyed the place. There were pink, green, and orange balloons everywhere. A _Welcome to Seattle _poster hung over the archway. Food was spread out everywhere and a big cake was set up in the corner of the living room, near the table with soda.

Bravely, Meredith decided not to put out drinks at the party. She said that she would be able to manage to stay away from the liquor cabinet, especially the one containing the tequila, for Hannah. Then, when I reminded her that she didn't keep liquor in the house, she realized that the only place she would be able to get drunk was a Joe's, and we were definitely not having Hannah's party there.

The whole party idea, in actuality, was Meredith and George's. I still can't believe that they have done so much for Hannah already, even though they hadn't met her until about two minutes ago. I'm glad they've been so accepting of everything that's been going on with me. Their assistance with helping me cope with Denny and deal with Hannah's situation has been great. They're just about the best friends a girl could ask for. But I still don't understand why I deserve them. I know that I say this over and over, but it's true. I've screwed up so many things in my life, and when I'm down, they're always there to help me, to guide me in the right direction.

I grew up as the pretty girl. Not the smart girl. Not the brainiac that Cristina is. Not the sweetheart that George is. Not the jock that Alex is. Not the girl with the legendary mother like Meredith. I was just the pretty girl. And everyone knows the pretty girl gets all the attention. She gets all the attention, but never the true friends. She gets the attention from hot guys and fake girls that roam around the planet thinking that their shit doesn't stink. But true friends for the pretty girl? Well, they're few and far between. Before moving here, I never really had true friends. Friends that will do whatever it takes to see you happy. Friends that actually care. I feel pretty lucky to have friends like this. Friends that, even though they don't even know her, will throw your daughter a party just for moving in. _It feels great to be loved. I only hope Hannah will feel just as loved as I do._

While I continued on with my day dream, Hannah had started to mingle with the rest of my friends. She had introduced herself to the people I had told her about, and was off meeting my other friends and co-workers. I grabbed a few chips from the bowl and sat down on the couch next to Meredith.

"She seems great, Izzie. Not to mention she's adorable."

I smiled. "Yeah, she is. I'm kind of nervous, though."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'm overreacting or something, but she seems so…so _okay_ with what's happened in the past week. I mean, a week after Denny died I was still a mess. I mean, I still am a mess inside, but I know that I have to deal with it on my own time now since Hannah's here. But she's…she's so happy for someone who just lost both of her parents. I just don't get it."

"Yeah, I noticed that. I thought she was just being nice, but she _does_ seem really happy. But maybe you're right. Maybe you're reading into this too much. Maybe she's dealing with it in her own way and we're just overreacting for nothing."

"Yeah, I hope you're right."

Cristina sat down next to me on the arm of the couch. "Hey, Izzie. Mer, where's the alcohol?"

"We don't have any. Why?"

"What? You don't have any? Don't tell me this is going to be another Thanksgiving rerun where I have to go out and buy some because _someone_ doesn't believe in keeping it in the house."

"Jeez, relax Cris. But for God's sake, it's a party for a twelve year old. We don't need liquor," Meredith quipped.

"Yeah, well you wouldn't be saying that if you were sitting here with a nice big bottle of tequila, now, would you?" she scoffed.

I pushed her off the couch and laughed.

"What the hell was that for?"

"For being you."

"What?"

"Oh, never mind. Just get your mind off of having a drink. If you're thirsty, there's always soda. Or you can go raid the fridge for all I care."

"Is there beer in there?"

"No, Cristina. There's no beer. But I think Burke just walked in there a few minutes ago"

She stood up and started to walk towards the kitchen. "You guys really don't know how to throw a party."

Meredith and I laughed at her as soon as she was out of earshot. "Jeez, what's up _her_ ass," I asked.

Mer laughed. "I don't know, but she's awfully moody lately."

"It's Cristina. She's always moody."

"Good point," she said as we laughed.

I glanced over my shoulder and saw that Hannah and George were having a conversation. _I thought they would get along well_, I said to myself.

I turned back around to see that Meredith had gotten up and Alex had taken her place.

"Hey, Izzie," he said.

"Alex. Hi," I said back. I didn't think we were on the greatest terms after everything that had happened, but I didn't want to screw anything else up this time. Maybe it was just a friendly conversation. Maybe it wasn't.

"So, uh, how come you never told any of us you had a kid?"

"Alex, this is _not_ the time to ask me that. Start with something simpler, something like, 'How are you?' Then we'll take it from there, okay?"

He looked kind of shocked at my sudden outburst. "Okay. How are you, Izzie?"

I smiled. "That's better. And I'm doing great, Alex, how about you?"

He shook his head. "You're not doing great, Izzie. I can tell."

"Yeah? How?"

"Let's just say when you work with Addison Shepherd you get to know a thing or two about women's expressions. Like, when chicks say they're fine, they're not really fine. And when you say you're great, you're not great. So spill it, Izzie. Tell me what's wrong?"

"Oh, you can get all of that out of working with Addison?"

He nodded.

"How?"

"Between me and you, she's even more scary and damaged than Grey is."

I laughed. "How so?"

Right when he was about to answer, we heard the door bell ring. Bailey, who was closest to the door, opened it.

"Speak of the devil. Well, look who it is."

"I didn't invite her. Did you invite her?"

"No, and I know for sure Meredith and Cristina didn't invite her. And I don't think Bambi's stupid enough to invite her, so that leaves one option."

"What?"

"She has a reason."

She stepped through the doorway and hung up her coat. She didn't care that most of the partygoers had stopped partying and stared at her. She just kept walking. She kept walking until someone jumped in her way. Someone small. Someone blonde. Someone who looked an awful lot like me.

"Auntie Addison!"

* * *

**A/N- A cliffhanger! Don't hate me, guys! If a lot of you review, I'll be motivated to post faster! Hope you liked it!**

**REVIEW PLEASE!!!**


	8. Girl Talk

**A/N- Glad to see you all liked the cliffhanger! Well, maybe you didn't _like_ it, but you were intrigued, weren't you? Hope you like this chapter! REVIEW please!**

**-Kait  
**

* * *

_She stepped through the doorway and hung up her coat. She didn't care that most of the partygoers had stopped partying and stared at her. She just kept walking. She kept walking until someone jumped in her way. Someone small. Someone blonde. Someone who looked an awful lot like me._**  
**

"_Auntie Addison!"  
_

* * *

"Did she just say what I think she said?" I asked Alex.

"Holy _shit._ Yeah, she did. The she-Shepherd's her _aunt? _How is this even remotely possible?" Alex questioned.

"Well, Dr. Karev, it's quite possible, actually," Addison said as she bent down to give Hannah a big hug and a kiss on her forehead. "Hey, baby doll! How's my favorite niece?"

"I'm good, Auntie Addison. Where's Uncle Derek?"

"He's, uh, he's at the hospital," Addison said, staring at the ground.

"Oh, okay," she said, running back to finish her conversation with George.

Addison stood up and walked over to me. "Dr. Stevens, may I have a word with you _alone_?" she asked. I stood up and walked into the kitchen with her.

We walked in and found the refrigerator door open and Cristina's butt sticking out. She was rummaging through the fridge, _still_ trying to find something with alcohol.

"Cris, can you give us a minute, please?" I asked her.

"No. Not until I find bee—oh!" she said when she saw Addison. "Sorry. Sure, I'll be out of your way," she said, shutting the door and walking back towards the party. She turned around and mouthed "What's she doing here?" to me. I rolled my eyes and focused my attention on Addison.

"So, Dr. Stevens, I see that Hannah's your daughter."

"And I see she's your niece. Would you mind explaining this to me? I'm really confused."

"Her adoptive mother, Jayden _Montgomery_ Davis, was my sister."

"Oh. _Oh_. I'm so sorry."

She looked down again. "Thanks."

"So…now what?"

"Now what _what?"_

"Now what do I do?"

"What do you mean 'What do I do?' You _raise_ her! She's your daughter, for God's sake."

"I know that, but you obviously know her better than I do. What's she like? What was her mother like? I just…I need more information before I can do this. Today…today was perfect. She was great. She was well behaved and really seemed to like me. And now you show up and I'm scared that I'll mess up and…and…" By now I had sunk to the floor and I was crying. Addison bent down and tried to help.

"Izzie, listen to me. You can do this. Just because I'm here doesn't mean she's going to hate you. Will it make things easier? Maybe. Will it make things worse? Maybe. Izzie…not everyone goes through life knowing all the answers. Not everyone knows everything they need to know. No one's perfect, especially _me_. And just because I'm her aunt doesn't mean I'm here to make things better. I _want_ to be a part of her life, but only if you let me. Hell, I even want Derek to be part of her life, as much as I hate him right now. _But only if you let him._ It's up to _you _now, Izzie. You call the shots. Trust me, you'll figure it out."

"Yeah, but what if I _don't?_"

"You _will._"

"How can you say that? You just told me that no one goes through life with all the answers. So how can you be so sure that I can do this?"

"You just need to _trust_ me. And trust _yourself._ If you don't, this isn't going to get any easier. For the _both_ of you."

"Do _you_ trust yourself?"

"Excuse me?"

"Do you trust yourself? I mean, put yourself in my shoes. You have Derek to help you. I have no one. Well, that's not true. I have Meredith and George, but how long do I really have them for? When our internship and residency is over, how long will I really have them for? You'll have Derek, but I'll be home alone without anyone to help me."

"That's not true and you _know_ it."

"Excuse me?"

"No, Izzie. You _won't_ be alone. You'll have everyone from the hospital on your side. You see all those people in your living room? They'll be the ones to help you. They'll be there. If this were me, _I'd_ have no one. I'd be divorced, without a husband, and Derek would be off screwing Meredith somewhere because, you know what? They belong together. _Shocker_, isn't it?" By now, she's sitting on the kitchen floor with me and crying.

"They belong together and everyone knows it. Everyone knows that Derek loves Meredith except Derek and Meredith. But everyone, and I mean _everyone,_ knows that Derek doesn't love me. He doesn't love me. He despises me. And he hates Mark. He hates his best friend, his brother, and it's all because of me. So, in the end, Derek would be here with Meredith, and mostly everyone in that room would be on Derek and Meredith's side. So you see? If this were me, I'd be _alone_ in this."

I kept quiet for a few moments. "Thank you."

"Yeah, for what?"

"For making me feel better."

"How could I have possibly made you feel better by talking about my miserable life?" she asked as she dabbed her eyes with a tissue.

"Well, you did just that. You told me about your miserable life and made me realize that you're a lot worse off than I am."

She laughed. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"No, sorry. But you're laughing, so should I be taking it as a good sign?"

"Yeah. I'm going to be okay. Just give me a moment."

"Okay." I stood up and put my hand out for her, pulling her up as well. I gave her a hug. "Addison?"

"Yeah?"

"I want you to be part of her life. Derek, too. That is, if _you_ want him to be. I know things are kind of…difficult between you two right now, so I'm leaving it up to you."

She smiled. "Thank you. But I want him to be a part of her life. She's his Peanut."

"Peanut?"

"Peanut. He called her that since she was so small when she was little."

"I guess I missed a lot, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did. But I wouldn't object to helping you gain a little perspective on what you missed. Why don't I bring over some photo albums of her tomorrow? Say, around 8 tomorrow night?"

I smiled. "Yeah, that'd be great, Addison. Thank you."

"No problem, Izzie." She checked her appearance in her compact. "Ready to go face the music?"

"No, but I have to at some point."

She gave me a quick hug once more and we were on our way into the living room, side by side, ready to face our peers.

* * *

**A/N- Loved it? Hated it? REVIEW PLEASE!**


	9. Facing The Music

**A/N-Thanks for all the great reviews so far, guys! I'm really glad you all like this so far! Hope you like this chapter, too!**

**-Kaitlin**

* * *

_She gave me a quick hug once more and we were on our way into the living room, side by side, ready to face our peers._

* * *

We walked back into the party room, expecting everyone to be staring straight at us. They _had_ to know something was up, and it wouldn't be like them not to ask what was going on. But to our surprise, my guests were well behaved, _for once._ They didn't bombard us with questions. They probably figured it was none of their business. Plus, they knew they'd find out eventually. I swear, you say _one_ thing to _one _person and ten seconds later, the whole hospital knows.

Let's face it; we're gossip whores. And we're unstoppable.

Addison had walked over to Hannah to say goodbye to her. Hannah didn't seem to realize that having her aunt attend the same party that her mother hosts wasn't something that happened on a daily basis. Hell, if Addison wasn't here, I probably would have never known she was Hannah's aunt.

They said their goodbyes and Addison was on her way, back to the trailer for an unfulfilling night of solitude. Sure, Derek would be home, but he really wouldn't be _there. _His body would be sleeping beside her, but his thoughts, his feelings—they'd be with Meredith.

I'm beginning to feel sorry for Addison, as well. It's like Derek can't get through one day without making the lives of the women at Seattle Grace, notably Meredith and Addison, miserable. And since Meredith is my friend, and since Addison is now becoming my friend, I'm obviously going to be on their sides. But whose side do I belong on?

After Addison left, I sat down next to Alex and Cristina. She sent Burke out to the store to get alcohol, claiming that she'd get up and leave this, and I quote, "lame-ass" party, if she didn't have something to drink in the next twenty minutes.

I sunk deeper and deeper into the couch as I sighed.

"What the hell happened in there?" Cristina asked.

"Yeah, what'd she want?" Alex inquired.

I took a deep breath. "Well, she's Hannah's aunt."

"No shit. Tell us the details," Cristina said, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"Hannah's adoptive mother was Addison's sister," I told them.

"Dude, that sucks. At least she's leaving, though. You won't have to deal with her anymore."

"She's _leaving_?" I asked. "No one told me she was leaving!"

"She's not leaving. What the hell are you talking about, Alex?" Cristina asked.

"What? Her and Shepherd and getting a divorce, or at least that's what I've heard. She has no reason to stay here, so she'll go back to New York and be with Sloan. Makes sense, doesn't it?"

"Well, yeah, it makes sense. But are you sure they're getting a divorce? Who'd you hear it from?" I wondered.

"Don't remember. But you know how the gossip is around here. Sooner or later it'll be true. Just watch. You don't believe me? Wait a few weeks. You'll see."

I shrugged my shoulders. Cristina was about to say something, but as she looked out of the corner of her eye, she saw Burke come in the door with her alcohol. "Oh, thank God!" she exclaimed. She ran over to him and immediately ran with the bag to the kitchen and poured herself something to drink.

By the time I looked back to Alex, he was gone. Meredith had taken his spot.

"Hey, Iz. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just tired. And Addison's her aunt. And they're getting a divorce. And everything is so screwed up. And I have to work tomorrow. And I don't want to. And—"

"Izzie," she began.

"—what?"

"Take it from the beginning. How is Addison her aunt?"

"Hannah's mom was Addison's sister."

"Wow. Okay. Who's getting divorced? Derek and Addison?"

I nodded. "Well, that's what Alex thinks, anyway. Said he heard it floating around the hospital. I don't know if it's true, though."

She sat back. "Oh. Well, I don't care. I have Finn. And Finn has plans. And I like Finn's plans. And I like Finn. And—"

"Mer!"

"Now _you_ take it from the beginning. Do you really want Finn? Or do you still want Derek?"

"Izzie! I want to be with Finn! I'm done with Derek. He had his chance and he lost it. I'm over him."

"No you're not."

"Yes I am!"

"Fine. I don't believe you, but I have bigger problems to deal with now. Example: What am I going to do with Hannah tomorrow? I have to register her for school, I guess. But I have to work tomorrow. I don't work on Tuesday, so maybe then?"

"Tuesday sounds good. Where's she going to go tomorrow, though?"

"I don't know. I just asked you the same question."

She laughed. "Oh, yeah. Well, Bailey's here, so ask her. DOCTOR BAILEY?" she screamed.

Bailey walked over to Meredith. "You rang, Grey?"

"Izzie has a question for you."

I rolled my eyes at Meredith. "Um, yeah. What do I do with Hannah tomorrow while I'm working?"

She stared at me. "Is that my problem to deal with?"

"Well, no. But I was just—"

"No! You figure it out. Motherhood doesn't come with all the answers, Stevens." And with that, she walked away.

_Izzie…not everyone goes through life knowing all the answers. Not everyone knows everything they need to know. No one's perfect. Trust me, you'll figure it out._

The party ended at a fairly decent hour, seeing as it _was_ a party for a child. Hannah had gone upstairs to get ready for bed after the majority of the people had left. Everyone left without a problem except Cristina. Sober Cristina would have left the party before it even started. Drunk Cristina was still convinced the party was still going on even after everyone was gone. She whipped out her iPod, placed the headphones in her ears, and started to dance to the music. We couldn't do anything but laugh.

Burke finally dragged her out, leaving behind a peaceful house for the four of us. George and Meredith retired to bed and Hannah came downstairs soon after. I was in the living room cleaning up when she came down and sat on the couch. She turned on the television and raised the volume way too high for my liking. _Anyone's_ liking.

"Can you turn that down? Meredith and George are sleeping."

"Well, if they're asleep, they can't hear it. It'll be fine, okay?"

"No, I still want you to turn it down. You're gonna blow out your eardrums if you keep listening to it like this."

"It's _fine_, Izzie."

"_Hannah, _turn it down or I'm turning it off."

She sighed. "_Fine._ Be that way." She lowered the volume with a sourpuss look on her face.

"Thank you."

"Yeah, well you're not welcome," she mumbled.

I let it go this time. I could sense things were beginning to get really tense between us all of the sudden. It was like she was a complete polar opposite of the girl I had spent the majority of my day with. She was so great earlier, and now she's acting like a little brat. Tension was the last thing I wanted. I needed this relationship to work. I needed it to work the _first_ time.

"You're in the way," she said.

"What?"

"You're in the way of the TV. I can't see anything."

"Well, I'll be done in a minute. I'm trying to clean up around here."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"What's gotten into you? You were fine earlier and now you're being really rude to me. Is everything okay?"

"I'm not being rude! I'm just asking you to move so I can watch TV! Is that too much to ask, or should I find something else to do?"

"I'm still cleaning, so find something else to do, please."

She stood up abruptly. "FINE!" She ran up the stairs and slammed the door to her room shut.

I just stood there, completely unsure of what had just happened. Was this even the same person I spent my day with? What happened that sparked this ridiculous behavior?

I finished cleaning up the living room and then went up to bed. I was debating whether or not to go in and talk to her, but I thought she needed her space. I remembered that this was exactly how I felt when Denny died. It was like a shock; so sudden. All I needed was the support of my friends and space to grieve in my own way. Maybe this was what Hannah was doing. I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote her a note, saying:

_Hannah-_

_I'm sorry if anyone did something to make you upset this evening. If anything's bothering you or you just want to talk, know that I'm _always _here for you. I know that what you've been through has been hard. I just went through it myself. And I also know that keeping your emotions bottled up inside isn't the best therapy. It makes things worse, and it's like a release to talk to someone about it._

_I know that it'll take time to get used to living with Meredith, George, and I, and I know that it'll take time getting used to Seattle in general, but I really hope you like it here. We all want to get to know you and hear about your past, so when you're ready to let us in, we'll be here. I want you to know that I love you and that you'll always have someone on your side, someone to cover you. You're not alone in this world. You'll always have me. _

_Love, Izzie_

I slipped the note under her door, hoping that she'd read it before the night was through. Now the only thing to do was wait.

_Did I ever say I was an impatient person?_

* * *

**A/N- Not my favorite chapter, but let me know how you liked it. Hannah's not such a perfect angel after all, is she? **

**Loved it? Hated it? Review, please!**


	10. Counselors, Videos, and Problems

**A/N: Here's what happens after Izzie slips the note under Hannah's door. Enjoy! Review, please! Feedback would be great!**

**-Kait**

* * *

It was three in the morning before I heard anything from Hannah. I was sound asleep, but woke up when I heard my bedroom door open.

"Izzie?" Hannah asked, her voice quiet and frail. She stood in the doorway, apprehensive about whether or not she should come in.

I opened my eyes and sat up in bed. "Yes?" I asked as I motioned for her to come inside.

She sat down on the foot of my bed and held up the note I left. "Um…I just wanted to say thank you. For this," she said as she motioned towards the note.

"I'm really sorry about before. I was doing so well during the day, but I blew it at night. That's kind of how it is everyday, actually."

I looked at her with a confused look on my face. "What do you mean?"

"I just wanted to apologize for last night. I don't know…it's like I can't control myself at night. I hide my pain during the day so people will think that I'm okay. But at night…at night my true feelings come out. I get really moody and basically, I act as if the entire world's against me. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry I can't change the way I act. I promise I'm gonna try, though. For you. For everyone. The party last night…I really appreciated it. You have a lot of great friends, especially George. He's so sweet."

I smiled. "Yeah, he is. But Hannah, you don't have to apologize. I know how you feel, and that's why I let what happened yesterday go. I, um, I went through the same thing you went through. I know that the nights are the toughest. And I know that you build up just enough strength to mask your real feelings during the day, but you can't do that forever. And neither can I. So what do you say? Will you work on it if I do?"

"Yeah. We'll work on it together," she said with a genuine smile. I motioned for her to come closer to me. I gave her a big hug as she cried into my shoulder. I stroked her hair, telling her everything would be alright. We cried together. For each other. For ourselves.

And that's exactly how Meredith found us when she barged into my room five minutes later.

"So if Addison's her aunt, Derek's her _uncle?_ How did this happen? Does the world_ hate_ me or something?" Meredith asked as she forcefully, and loudly, opened my door.

Hannah and I both looked up and said, "What?"

"Oh! Sorry! I'll just go back to bed." Meredith paused. "Yeah…uh, goodnight."

"Wait!" Hannah said. "You don't have to go," she told Meredith as she patted the spot next to her. Meredith smiled as she turned around and got into bed.

I smiled at my daughter's bravery. I mean, I know I just told her to work on letting people in and her nighttime behavior, but this was pretty soon. I wasn't expecting her to start until tomorrow. I guess I'm due for more surprises soon, aren't I?

Hannah scooted over towards me to make room for Meredith. I hugged her close, silently letting her know how proud of her I was. It's great that she's not pushing people away. In turn, she's really going to help me, too. I can feel it.

"So, Mer. You had this revelation at," I looked over at the clock, "three fifteen in the morning? And you just _had_ to tell me _now?" _I said with a laugh.

"Yeah, sorry about that. It just kind of came to me, I guess. I don't know. It's just…why me? I'm a good person, Iz. I don't see why I deserve this."

I gave Meredith a stern look. I didn't want to get into this at this hour, let alone in front of Hannah.

"Deserve what?" Hannah asked.

Meredith looked guilty. "Um…it's a long story. Maybe another day?"

Hannah yawned. "Okay. I'm tired anyways. Goodnight," she said, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep right before us.

Meredith and I both laughed. "What did you do to her, Iz? She must have been _really_ tired to fall asleep that quickly," Meredith said with a smile.

"Hey, I did nothing," I told her. "Well, that's not true, but it's her problem that she's sleeping." I paused. "You know, Mer. I wish _I_ were sleeping, too. Care to do something about that?"

"What? I can't make you sleep!"

"By leaving you can. Goodnight, Mer."

She jokingly sighed. "Fine. Goodnight, Izzie."

Just as Meredith got up to leave, my bedroom door opened yet again. Meredith was the first to talk.

"George? What're you doing in here?"

"What're _you_ doing in here?"

"Um, we're having a slumber party?" She said this as a question rather than a statement.

"And I wasn't invited?"

"No. Slumber parties are for girls. Guys go camping or something manly like that. It's a fact of life. Deal with it," I said, joking with him.

George looked frustrated and started to walk away. "George, she's kidding. God, loosen up, will you?" Meredith said.

He shook his head. "Sorry. I'm not awake." He yawned. "I'm gonna go back to bed," he said as he walked away.

"Me, too," Meredith said. "Goodnight."

"'Night, guys."

She shut the door and I closed my eyes, held my daughter tight, and fell asleep.

If I didn't have to wake up three hours later, it would have been a great night. The alarm clock's incessant beeping must have scared Hannah, because she shot straight up when it went off.

"Izzie, what's going on?" she asked.

"Relax, it's the alarm clock. It's time to get up."

"Oh," she laughed. "That makes sense, doesn't it?"

I laughed with her. "Yeah, it does."

"Wait a second. Why am _I_ getting up?"

"Because you're coming to work with me."

"Really? I don't have to go to school?"

"Nope. Not today, at least. I have tomorrow off so we'll get you signed up then. Today you're gonna come with me, alright?"

"Yeah! I've always wanted to see what it's like to be a doctor," she exclaimed.

_She wouldn't be seeing much_, I thought. _It's not like I can _do_ anything. _

"Well, today's your chance. Go get ready. We have to leave in forty-five minutes," I told her.

"Okay," she said, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

Hannah came downstairs ten minutes later, dressed in jeans, pink flip flops, and a white and pink polo. I had made eggs and bacon for everyone, and Hannah plopped down at the table, joining us all for breakfast.

"So, are you excited about going to work with Izzie?" George asked.

Hannah's smile beamed from ear to ear. "Yeah! I've always wanted to be a doctor, actually. Ever since my best friend, Ally, fell off the swings and got stitches in her head, I knew it was what I wanted to do. She got to go see Uncle Derek and Aunt Addie and they fixed her right up. She came back the next day as good as new."

"That's great, Hannah," he said.

Meredith frowned upon hearing Derek and Addison's names. After last night's incident at three in the morning, I knew the three of them were still a touchy subject. A subject I really didn't want to go into with Hannah present. How would she feel if she found out Meredith, someone who she most likely will grow to love, absolutely hates her aunt and possibly has feelings for her uncle? Did she even know the whole story behind Addison and Derek's separation? Did she even know Mark?

The answers to these questions I could do without.

* * *

Once we arrived at the hospital, the day truly began. I brought her into the locker room and it immediately started trouble. A few interns had a problem with her being in there, but when Bailey came in, I tried to sort the problem out.

"Dr. Bailey, where should I bring Hannah? Apparently everyone else is having a problem with her being here," I asked.

"Dr. Stevens, I told you this wasn't my problem last night." She paused to sigh, but when she looked down at Hannah, she softened. "But I guess it'd be alright for her to stick with you for _today only_. Is that clear?"

"Crystal. Thank you."

She rolled her eyes and started to walk away. "Rounds in two minutes, people. Karev, you're with Montgomery-Shepherd, Yang, you're with Burke, Grey, you're with Shepherd, O'Malley, you're with Torres, and Stevens, you're with your peer counselor today."

Every intern groaned after hearing their assignments. Well, every intern except Cristina.

"I'm _still_ on the vagina-squad? Come _on!_" Alex said.

"Karev! Don't talk back to your superiors. You want to be a surgeon? Act like one!" Bailey said.

Meredith, George, Cristina, and I snickered.

"The same goes to you four. Keep it up and I'll have you doing rectals all day long." If that didn't shut us up, I don't know what would have.

Bailey left the room and Cristina, Meredith, Alex, and George began rounds. Hannah and I started to walk down toward the peer counselor's office.

"Why are we going to a counselor?" she asked.

"Um…it's a long story. We'll probably talk about it with the counselor, though."

Hannah was quiet before she asked, "Is that all anyone is ever gonna tell me? Last night Meredith said that her story was long and that she'd tell me another day. Now you tell me that your story is long, too, and that we'll get to it later. Am I missing something or am I really _not_ supposed to know?"

"No, sweetie. Of course you can know, it's just…it's hard for me to talk about it. And it's hard for Meredith, too. But we're not going to keep secrets from you, alright? I promise you'll find out sooner or later."

She looked down to the floor. "Okay."

We arrived at the counselor's office and knocked on the door. He said to come in, and when we did, we sat down before him. We spent the whole day talking and while I tried to avoid the subject of Denny. The counselor was happy that Hannah was with me today. He wanted to hear how she felt about her own situation and, in turn, he would help me help her. Sure, she has her problems, but I don't believe she's gone too far to be saved.

And I don't think I'm too far to be saved, either.

* * *

After sitting with the counselor all day, we were finally released to go home. Meredith and George met us at the lobby and we walked out to the car together and drove home.

I made dinner for everyone—chicken with roasted potatoes and carrots. Ever since Dr. Burke came over last Thanksgiving and taught me how to cook a turkey, I've been practicing with other dishes, too.

We finished dinner around 7:30 and all went to watch some television. I had told Hannah about Meredith's mom's videos and she'd been begging to watch them ever since.

"Meredith?" Hannah asked when we sat down on the couch.

"Yeah?" she said.

"Can we watch the videos of your mom's surgeries?"

George looked at Hannah with a puzzled look. "You sure you want to watch? It's kind of gory for someone who's not used to all the blood."

"I don't care. I want to be a surgeon, too. Plus, Izzie said we could do it later but I really want to do it now."

Meredith laughed when she heard this. "She did, did she?"

Hannah nodded. I tried to look away to stop myself from laughing.

"Alright," Meredith said," I guess we can watch one. Any preferences?"

"Hmm…what about a transplant surgery? Like…do you have a brain transplant on tape?"

"No, sorry. No brain transplants."

"Oh, what about a heart transplant?" Hannah asked.

Meredith got quiet. So did George. I just sat there, still as could be, staring at the wall.

Hannah spoke up. "What did I do?"

"Nothing, Hannah. You didn't do anything wrong," George reassured her. "But why don't we choose another surgery? Come on, we'll pick one out together," he said, gesturing for her to follow him to the box of tapes.

She looked around the room, stopping at me. "Are you okay, Izzie?"

I drew in a deep breath. "Yeah, I'll be alright."

She looked skeptical. "Okay," she said as she followed George to where the box was stored.

"You haven't told her?" Meredith asked.

"No."

"Well, why not?"

I paused. "It's not that easy, Mer. Why don't you tell her about how you want to pounce on her _uncle,_ who she probably still thinks is in love with her _aunt, _every time you see him?" I said, probably a bit too loudly.

Meredith looked astounded. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? You just seemed so open with each other. I thought you had told her already."

"No, I didn't tell her yet. I know I have to. I _want_ to. But I just don't know how! I spent the entire day with that peer counselor and managed to avoid the subject the entire time. I don't know how I did it, but I did. And I want to keep it that way until I find the right time to tell her. So, please…don't say anything. I know she'd empathize with me, but it's hard."

"I know it's hard, Izzie," she said as she scooted closer to me and gave me a hug. I hugged her back, clinging to her.

I looked up to see George and Hannah standing right next to us. I pulled away from Meredith and made room for them on the couch.

Hannah spoke up. "Okay, what's going on? What were you trying to avoid today? And what's going on with Aunt Addie and Uncle Derek? _Why won't you people tell me anything?_"

If you're thinking things couldn't get any worse…they did.

The doorbell rang.

George went to answer it.

Derek and Addison stepped through the threshold.

And my world came crashing down.

* * *

**A/N- Loved it? Hated it? REVIEW, PLEASE!**


	11. Scrapbooks Over Margaritas

**A/N: Thanks to everyone for all the awesome reviews so far! I really hope you like this chapter. It's not one of my favorites, but we'll let you decide on that one. Please review! I'm supposed to be working on a journal about _Twelve Angry Men_ for English, but since writing this is _much _****more interesting, I'm blowing it off for now. Seriously, you should feel special right about now : )**

_If you're thinking things couldn't get any worse…they did._

_The doorbell rang._

_George went to answer it._

_Derek and Addison stepped through the threshold._

_And my world came crashing down._

* * *

Hannah looked around the room, stopping to stare at each of us. I was scared—that's right, scared—of what she was going to do. It's not like I wanted to keep secrets from her, because I didn't. But it's hard to let your emotions free when all you've been trying to do is keep them bottled up inside for her sake. 

She looked at Meredith and I, her eyes full of rage and anger. She turned around and saw Addison and Derek standing before her and her eyes immediately changed from angry to happy.

"Uncle Derek!" she exclaimed. "Aunt Addie!"

"Hey, Peanut! I've missed you," Derek said, scooping her into a hug.

"How are you, sweetie?" Addison asked.

"Horrible," Hannah said.

"Horrible? What's wrong, honey?" Addison questioned.

Hannah broke down and began to cry. "Everything. Mom and dad are gone. And Izzie and Meredith have secrets. And I miss New York. And I miss Ally. And…and…everything's just so different," she said, sobs racking her body.

I didn't know what to do. Do I help her or do I let Addison and Derek handle it? And if I _do_ let them handle it, will they be able to control her?

"Oh, Peanut. Come here," Derek said, his arms open to catch Hannah. He hugged her closely and kissed the top of her head as she cried into his shoulder. Addison came over and joined the hug, attempting to soothe Hannah.

I, instead of watching Hannah, watched Addison. She looked at Hannah as if she was her own child. She truly loved her, and as much as she seemed to resent Derek at the moment, it didn't matter—Hannah needed them _together. _Any more change and Hannah would be driven to insanity.

Meredith couldn't take it anymore and walked out of the room. George followed her to make sure that everything was alright. I just sat there, entirely unsure of what to do.

I thought that Addison would come over alone. I didn't even think that she and Derek were speaking after Mark had shown up a few days ago and Derek found out how their alleged one night stand lasted much longer than one night.

I saw that Derek whispered something in Addison's ear before she began to walk towards me.

"Would you mind if Derek took her out for a bit while we catch up?" she asked. "I don't know what's going on with her, but Derek's usually the one that gets through to her."

"Sure, he can take her out. I'm guessing it'll probably make her feel better to be around him right now."

Addison nodded. "I'm sure it will."

Derek and Hannah both stood up. Derek waved to me and ushered Hannah out the door.

Meredith walked back into the living room after hearing the door open and shut, but when she saw that Addison was still here, she walked back into the kitchen.

"Grey, you don't have to be scared of me," Addison shouted to her.

"I'm not," she shouted back.

"Then why can't you bear to be in the same room as me. If anything, I should be walking away from you."

She came to the doorway. "Then why don't you?"

Addison sighed. "I have no reason to. Not anymore, at least."

"Why?" she asked.

"It's, um, it's over. Me and Derek. We signed the divorce papers earlier. So, he's all yours now. You won. Happy?"

Meredith walked further into the room. "No, I'm not _happy._ Addison, I don't hate you. I shouldn't hate you. You didn't do anything to hurt me. All you did was try to win your husband back and you had every right to do that. If I should hate anyone, it should be Derek. He's the one who lied to me. He's the one who let it get too far when he _knew_ he was married," Meredith said.

"That's touching, Grey. Really, it is," Addison said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "But I know that you're just going to go right back to him. Or he's going to go right back to you. Either way, it'll be a slap in the face for me. And either way, I'm probably not going to end up happy."

Meredith sighed. "I'm trying to be nice here, I really am. What more do you want from me?"

"Nothing, Meredith. I want nothing more from you."

Meredith scoffed and ran upstairs, George following closely behind her. I sat on the couch throughout the entire argument, once again, unsure of what to do.

Addison broke the silence. "I'm sorry you had to see that. It's just been a stressful day, to say the least." She paused. "May I have something to drink—preferably something _strong?_"

"Sure. We have tequila, so I can make margaritas. Will that work?"

Addison smiled. "Yeah, that'll work. Thank you."

I got up and made margaritas for Addison and myself. I brought them back into the living room and found Addison rummaging through her bag for the photo albums she brought with her.

"Thanks," she said as she took the drink I handed to her. She took a sip, licked her lips, and said, "It's good."

I smiled and took a sip. "Thanks."

She placed her drink on the coffee table. "Okay, so I guess we should get started. I have tons of pictures and scrapbooks from Jayden's apartment, so what do you want to see first?"

"Why don't we start from the beginning and work our way up."

"Sounds like a plan." She grabbed a scrapbook that said _Hannah through the Years_ on the cover. She opened it to the first page and placed the book between us. My eyes started to tear as I looked at the first photo. It was taken right after she was born, and she was cradled in my arms, fast asleep. I was looking down at her, a beaming smile on my face.

"I can't believe this is in here," I said.

Addison smiled. "It's one of Hannah's favorites. She loves the few pictures she has of you."

I smiled. _Maybe we'd get through this._

We finished looking through the scrapbooks after an hour and a half and one margarita too many for Addison. We spent the remaining time talking about Hannah and how we could help her.

"I just hope Derek didn't fuck up and tell her about the divorce. I mean, she's gone through so much and I don't want to confuse her any more than she already is. And I _really_ hope he didn't mention Meredith to her. Actually," Addison giggled, "I wouldn't care if she didn't like Meredith."

"Yeah, well I would. It'd be hell living with the two of them if she knew."

Addison hiccupped. "Good point." She paused for a moment. "I love how civil Derek and I are. We're being civil for Hannah. Like…we drove in the same car over here and we didn't fight _once_. Impressive, isn't it?"

"That's _great_, Addison," I said, laughing at what she had said. "But I think it's time to get you home. Or at least get you some coffee."

"Coffee? Perfect! Lemme help you," she said, attempting to stand up. She wobbled over and fell back down. "Okay, maybe I don't want to help you. I like the couch. The couch is nice. It's soft," she said, feeling the fabric, "and pretty, and…"

I left her there, talking to the couch, while I made her a cup of coffee. I was debating on whether or not I should call her a cab, but then I wondered where she would go. She's obviously not going back to the trailer with Derek, but where was she staying? I realized I'd better let Derek handle it. He'd probably seen drunk-Addison numerous times in the past. She _did_ say they were being civil about the whole divorce, so I didn't see this as a problem.

I came back into the living room, coffee in hand, and passed it along to Addison. She downed the cup within five minutes and we chatted until Derek and Hannah came home.

Around 9:45, I heard the door open and saw them come inside. Hannah, without saying anything, came over to me and engulfed me in a hug.

"I'm sorry," she whispered in my ear as she hugged me. A small tear escaped from her eye.

I scooted over so she could sit in-between Addison and I. "What're you sorry for?"

"My behavior…again. And…everything. I am so sorry, Izzie," she told me.

I pulled her in for another hug while she started to cry again. "It's okay, sweetie. I understand."

Addison gave Hannah a hug, gathered her things, and began to walk over to Derek. She stumbled and fell right into his arms. Looking up at him, she said, "Hi, McDreamy."

He just stared at her. "You're drunk," he said with a smile.

"I am not!" she protested.

He shook his head. "Let's get you home. Where're you staying, anyway?"

She shrugged.

"A hotel?" Derek asked.

"Yes! That's it," she said.

"Which one?" he asked her.

She shrugged again. "I dunno!" She paused. "Why don't we drive around until I find it?"

Derek sighed. "Whatever. Just don't puke in my car, okay?"

"'Kay," she said, stumbling towards the door.

Derek came over and gave Hannah a hug goodbye and whispered _I love you, Peanut_ in her ear.

Then, Derek looked at me, straight in the eyes, and said, "Tell her."

"Seriously?"

He nodded. "Seriously." He paused. "Goodnight, girls."

Hannah and I both said, "Goodnight."

I'm guessing he helped Addison get out to the car and drove her around until she recognized what hotel she was staying at. I think she was too drunk to remember much of anything, but you never know.

Miracles can happen.

Things can change.

People can learn to accept these changes, too.

_Maybe telling her wouldn't be such a bad idea after all._

* * *

**A/N: I need your help! _Do you want me to keep this story in Izzie's point of view or should I write it in the third person? If you want to get a more in depth view of the possible future relationships in this story, you'll probably want it in the third person. _Please let me know in your review. **

**And now, for my favorite question: _What pairings, if any, would you like to see in this? I know which pairings I'd like, but I'd like to know what you guys want to see, too. _Tell me in your review! I need to know what you'd like to see so I can write the next chapter, so this is kind of urgent. THANKS!**


	12. How Am I Supposed To Feel?

**A/N: I'm _so_ sorry I haven't updated sooner. Life's been hectic, to say the least, and I haven't been having the best week. I posted two other stories in the meantime while I took a break from this one. They're called _Oh, Wouldn't It Be Nice _and _What We're Aiming For. _Check them out, if you would. They're both MerDer. And they're both insanely cute. Hope you like them, and I _really_ hope you like this chapter! **

**Reviews, as always, are great and really fuel the story. I was so happy with all the detailed reviews I got for the last chapter, so a big thank you goes out to MoonlightGardenias, RBDFAN, summerdreams, tayababy, flawsinscience, -EHWIES, addicted2oth06, and Shoppingal87. **

**Okay, seeing as this author's note is getting rather long, I'll shut myself up and let you read what you came for. Enjoy! Review!**

**-Kait**

**--------------------**

"_Everyone has a secret. Oh, can they keep it? Oh, no they can't." _–Maroon 5

-----------------

I turned around to face Hannah. "You really want to know everything?" I asked her, selfishly hoping her answer would be 'no'.

She nodded. "More than anything," she said.

I sighed. "We're going to make a deal, okay?"

"What?" Hannah asked.

"We're making a deal. You ask me a question and I have to answer. I ask you one and you have to answer. This way we can help each other," I reasoned.

Hannah thought it over. "Sounds fair, I guess," she said before pausing for a moment. "Okay, why did we go to the counselor today?"

Great, that's the one question I'm dreading answering and she asks it first.

I took a deep breath and thought about how I'd tell her.

_Here goes nothing._

"For the record, I'd like to ask you _not_ to judge me by this. If there's any lesson you'll learn in life it's that you can't help who you fall in love with."

"Wait. What? What does falling in love have to do with counseling?" she questioned.

"You'll see. Trust me," I said, "you'll see."

She shrugged her shoulders and motioned for me to continue with my story.

"Oh, and also, for the record, I'd advise you to try not to fall in love with one of your patients. Or at least wait until they're not your patient anymore," I said.

Hannah looked at me, a confused and annoyed look washing over her face. "You fell in love with a patient?"

I nodded, tears forming in my eyes. "I fell in love with a patient."

"Okay. But how does this help me understand why we spent the day with a counselor instead of doing doctor stuff?"

"I'm getting to that. This is hard for me, Hannah, and you're not making it any easier by interrupting me nonstop," I lashed.

She looked at me, her eyes widening and her confused look changing into a scared one.

"Sorry," I relented. "It's just…I've never really _talked_ about this with anyone and I don't know where to begin."

"Well, you can start from the beginning," she said.

"Right," I said, "the beginning. Well, he came in with a heart condition. He was on the transplant list but he was running out of time. I had gotten to know him in the few days he was at the hospital the first time and we really hit it off. We just…understood each other, you know?"

Hannah smiled and nodded her head.

"So, we flirted for a bit, but then he left. I didn't think I'd see him again, or at least not as soon as I did."

"Why'd he come back?"

"He, um, he was having more heart problems. So we put him on an LVAD."

"A _what?_"

I laughed. "An LVAD. Left Ventricular Assist Device. It helps the heart pump blood throughout the body when it can't do so on it's own."

"Oh, I got it. So what happened next?"

I took a deep breath. This was still relatively new territory for me, and talking about it still wasn't easy. "Well, a few weeks passed and he wasn't getting any better. He needed a new heart and he was running out of time."

A few tears started to cascade down my cheeks. Hannah handed me a tissue which I graciously accepted.

"Then Doctor Burke—you remember him right?" I asked. She nodded. "Then Doctor Burke received news that there was a donor—two donors, actually—and he went to get the heart for Denny. But our donor flat lined on the table, so he had to fight to get the other donor's heart from Doctor Hahn."

"Did he get it?"

"Yeah, how he got it is key to the story."

"Oh, okay. Continue, then."

"So, I don't know if you've heard of something called UNOS, but they're in charge of the donor lists. When someone is placed on the donor list, they're clocked in by the second. Doctor Hahn's patient was placed on the list _seventeen seconds_ before Denny, which essentially means that Doctor Hahn's patient should get the heart."

"Wait. So if the heart is legally Doctor Hahn's, how did Doctor Burke get it?"

"See, in order for Denny to get the heart, he would have had to get much sicker _very_ fast. But the problem was that he was stable and in no harm." I gulped. "So I made him sicker."

"You did _what?_"

"Hey, you promised you wouldn't judge me. I did what I thought was best and we're leaving it at that."

"Okay. Sorry."

"It's okay. You sure you want to hear the rest?"

Hannah nodded. I started to tear up again.

"Like I said, I made him sicker." I paused, and for the first time since I confessed, I admitted, out loud, what I had done. "I cut his LVAD wires."

"So his heart stopped?"

I grabbed another tissue and wiped my eyes. "Essentially, yes, his heart stopped. I kept it beating manually, though."

"Oh. Then what happened?"

"We, uh, ran some tests to prove that Denny's condition was getting worse, and then faxed them to Mercy West, where the donor was. But before I cut the wires, I called Doctor Burke and told him that he should get back to Seattle Grace as soon as possible. That I didn't know enough medicine to help keep him alive once I started. And when I hung up, I went to his room and cut the wires." I started to break down and Hannah gave me a few minutes to recoup.

"Did he die?"

"No. I kept his heart beating manually. One by one, my friends came in the room and tried to help. George was there when I cut the wires, and Meredith and Cristina came in after."

"What'd they do?"

"George freaked out. Meredith tried to stay calm. And Cristina…she…"

"It's okay. You can say it," she reassured me.

"She told me Burke got shot."

Hannah gasped. I sat there, tears flowing steadily out of my eyes.

"Then what happened?"

"We, uh, all fought about what to do next, about what I'd done. But then Meredith told us all to shut up and she came up with a plan. We would have to do the blood work and the echo so no one would know." I took a short pause, composing myself a bit more.

"And then Cristina tried to tell me that I didn't really know Denny at all. That I should run away from the problem and never look back. But then Denny…he asked me to marry him."

"And what'd you say?"

"Nothing. There was another complication. We had to give him adenosine, which stopped his heart."

"You gave him medicine to kill him?"

"No! It only stops his heart for a few seconds."

"Oh. Okay."

"So when we were doing all of this, Doctor Bailey walked in."

"Uh oh. Did you get in trouble?"

"Trouble is an understatement. Bailey decided that…that I wouldn't be a doctor anymore until she said so."

"But you're a doctor _now_, aren't you?"

"Yes. But I can't practice medicine until the chief says so. Right now I'm just observing, watching everyone from afar. I usually shadow different interns each day, but today I was with the counselor."

"Oh, so it's all making sense now. What happened after Bailey told you you weren't a doctor?"

I laughed. "She put us in time out. But I refused to stay in my time out and went to go check on Denny while he was in surgery."

"So he got the heart after all?"

"Yes."

"Wait. If Doctor Burke couldn't perform the surgery because he got shot, who did it?"

"Doctor Hahn did. She flew in from Mercy West with Alex and performed the surgery here."

"Oh. So he didn't make it through the surgery?"

"No, he made it though. He made it through with flying colors. It was after the surgery when things got complicated."

"Seriously?"

I nodded. "Seriously. I went back to talk to him, tried to tell him that he could take the whole proposal back, but he said no. He said he wanted to marry me and that was final. So…I walked away. _Ran_ away, actually. But I came back," I said. "I came back and I said _yes._"

"Aww! That's so sweet. But this ends badly, so I guess I shouldn't be happy."

I shook my head. "You can be happy. You can feel however you want to feel."

She smiled. "Okay. I'm happy. But I want to hear more."

"Can I take a rain check? It's getting late and we have a lot to do tomorrow."

She sighed. "I _guess_ so. But you have to promise you'll tell me, okay?"

"I don't break my promises."

She smiled. "Okay then."

We both cleaned up and got ready for bed. As I was walking toward my bedroom, Hannah came up behind me and engulfed me in a hug. I turned around and hugged her back.

"What's this for?" I asked.

"Thank you. For telling me, you know? I know it must have been really hard and I'm happy I'm not completely in the dark anymore."

I smiled and hugged her tighter. "You're welcome." I looked down at her. "Goodnight."

She smiled up at me. "Goodnight, Izzie."

We let go of each other and walked toward our respective rooms.

"Oh, and Hannah?"

She turned around. "Yeah?"

"I'm happy you're not in the dark, too."

-----------------

**A/N: Okay, so that didn't turn out the way I expected it to, but that's okay, right? I don't really like this chapter much because it's just a retelling of what we already know, but I think Hannah's interjections are what keep the chapter flowing. I really hope you liked this, and once again, I'm SO sorry this took so long to get posted. **

**REVIEW, please!**


	13. Nothing Comes Easily

**A/N: Hey, it's Kait here with the latest chapter. I know I said I would try to get this up faster than last time, but obviously that didn't happen. So yeah, I'm sorry about that. Forgive me, please! I hope this chapter will suffice! Hope everyone had a great holiday; I know I did. I hope you guys like this chapter. Izzie doesn't finish her story, but I _promise_ she will in the future chapters. This one's _kind_ of a filler chapter, because I think that Izzie needs an emotional break before she can talk more about Denny. Anyhow...if you read, you know the drill-REVIEW! I'll be eternally grateful.  
-Kaitlin **

* * *

After a long night of tossing, turning, crying over Denny, and barely any sleep, I woke up and began to make breakfast. Hannah was still asleep, but George and Meredith joined me in the kitchen. They both sat down on stools and poured themselves some coffee.

"Good morning, guys," I said.

"G'morning," George said, burning his tongue as he sipped his steaming coffee. He shot up off of the stool and said, "_Damn!"_ He ran to the freezer, grabbed an ice cube, and placed it in his mouth. When he saw that Meredith and I were staring at him with confused looks on our faces, he did a double take and left the room.

Meredith laughed and I smirked. "Poor George. He just can't win, can he?" Meredith said.

"I guess not," I told her. I looked down to the pancake batter I was mixing. "Look, Mer. About last night…"

"Let's not have this conversation, okay? Don't worry about it," she said quickly.

"Okay, I won't bother you about it. But, it's just…you've been so helpful with Denny and Hannah, and I just want you to know that I'm here if you need me, okay? I mean, _I_ bought Addison over here, anyways. Granted, I didn't know she'd bring Derek, but…"

"Thanks, Iz. It's not your fault and you don't need to apologize, but thanks," she said, smiling up at me.

I smiled back as I poured the batter on the skillet. At the same moment, Hannah came in the room, dragging George behind her by the hand.

"Look who I found hiding from you," Hannah said.

Meredith and I laughed. "You were hiding? Seriously?" I asked.

George hung his head in shame. "I wasn't _hiding_ hiding, I was just staying away from you," he said, speaking to Meredith.

She laughed. "Why?"

"Because you're mean without your coffee."

Meredith stopped laughing. "Excellent point. No offense taken."

I laughed at the two of them.

"It's okay, George. I won't laugh at you," Hannah said.

George smiled and followed Hannah to the table. "See? _Someone_ here likes me."

Hannah smiled. Meredith and I winked at each other and walked on over to the table.

"So, what're you guys doing today?" George asked. The three of us had the day off.

"Well, we we're going to get Hannah registered for school and then I don't know what we're going to do," I said.

"You promised you would finish telling me about—" Hannah said before I cut her off.

"I told you I don't break my promises," I said sternly, _so_ not wanting to discuss Denny during breakfast. It was hard enough to get to sleep last night after what we had talked about. It was almost as if having Hannah here kept my mind off of all that I had lost, but now that she wants to know all about him, it's like I have to deal with two very big, very stressful dilemmas at once. And trust me—it's not fun, or easy, at all. But I get through it because I have to.

There was an awkward silence throughout the table. George broke it.

"So, what school are you enrolling at?"

Hannah shrugged her shoulders and looked to me for the answer.

"Probably Madison Middle School. Let's just hope they have room for her, though," I told George.

Meredith looked confused. "So she's going to go to school for about a month, then take her finals on information she's never studied?"

"We have finals? Back home we didn't have finals in middle school. Only in high school," Hannah said, sounding worried.

"No, 6th graders don't have finals. I didn't, at least. I think they start in 7th grade," I told her.

She sighed, relieved that she didn't have to take the tests.

"So, we'll go there first and then figure out what to do next, okay?" I asked.

"Mmm-hmm," she said, chewing her pancake.

"Hey, why don't we meet up for lunch? I'm not doing anything today, are you, Mer?" George asked.

"Nope. I can do lunch."

"Okay, I'll call you when we're done at the school and we'll meet up somewhere," I said.

"Okay," George and Meredith said as they stood up, taking their dishes to the sink. Hannah and I did the same, and we both went and got ready to leave. When we finished getting ready, we came downstairs to find Meredith and George watching a show on television.

"Hey, can I borrow someone's car?" I asked. I felt horrible always asking them for favors like this, but I couldn't afford to buy a new car right now. Although, having my own _would_ make things ten times easier.

"Yeah," George said, throwing me his keys, his eyes staying glued on the screen. His aim was completely off and he ended up throwing them to Hannah instead.

"Does this mean I get to drive?" she exclaimed.

I laughed. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

She smiled. "Yeah, but I don't think I would be able to see over the steering wheel."

"Yeah, you probably couldn't. So let's leave the driving up to me, okay?"

She smiled. "'Kay."

We drove over to the middle school and got Hannah enrolled. She was handed her schedule and was told that homeroom began at 8:30 the following morning. She got out at 2:50 in the afternoon and her bus, number 430, dropped her off at 3:15. The faculty seemed pleasant and I didn't foresee any problems at Madison. Hannah seemed excited, too, and couldn't wait to begin school, even though it was only for a month. Apparently she _loved_ school and was great at making friends quickly because of her outgoing personality. She sounds just like me at her age.

I called home and told George and Meredith to meet us at Belltown Pizza. They said they'd be there in twenty minutes, and they were true to their word.

"So, Hannah, are you excited for school tomorrow?" Meredith asked.

Hannah's eyes lit up. "Yeah! I can't wait!"

"You have a favorite class?" George wondered.

She nodded. "Science. Back home we did biology this year and it was so cool! But then we started learning about electricity and weather and I got bored."

I laughed. "Our little doctor in training, hmm?"

George and Meredith laughed and Hannah smiled.

We finished up the pizza, and as we were paying the bill, each of our pagers went off.

Hannah looked confused, but excited at the prospect of going to the hospital again.

"Guys, it's 911. We've got to go," We threw cash down on the table and hurried over to the hospital. When we walked into the locker room, Dr. Bailey was already there.

"Took you long enough," she said.

"Sorry, we were having lunch across town. What's going on?" I asked. "And what should I do with Hannah? Actually, what should I do with myself? It's not like I'll be much help, anyways."

"Izzie, we need all the help we can get. Go see the chief with Hannah and then get your ass down here A.S.A.P., got it?"

I nodded and changed into my scrubs. "C'mon, Han. We've got to hurry," I told her.

She followed me, dodging the fellow interns who were all in a frenzy due to the trauma that was arriving soon.

We rushed up to the Chief's office, intruding on a meeting between him and his wife.

"Chief, Adele, I am so sorry to interrupt, but we've got a situation we need to sort out."

He looked to Adele for approval of me to come inside. Without looking at me, she said, "Come in, Dr. Stevens." She mumbled, "It's not like he was listening to me anyways."

"Hello, Izzie, Hannah. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I got paged—a 911—but I was off-duty and had Hannah with me. Any idea where I should bring her, Sir?"

"You can bring her to the day care," he said.

"Richard, that's for babies!" Adele said. "Izzie, let me take her. I know just the thing we can do."

"Really, Adele? Thank you so much," I said.

"Hannah, this is Adele, the Chief's wife. You're going to go with her, okay? Sorry I had to cut our day short."

"It's okay, Izzie. I'll be fine. Just remember that I have to get to bed early since I have school tomorrow, so don't take forever, okay?"

I smiled. "Got it."

"Thanks again, Adele," I said.

"No problem, Izzie," she said as they walked out of the room.

The Chief and I just stood there. No one spoke and there was an awkward silence between us.

"Izzie, why are you still standing here?" he asked.

"Well, Chief, I'm confused."

"How so?"

"I mean…I'm on probation. It's not like I can _do_ anything except watch—"

"And learn. You can learn."

"True, I can learn. But won't I just be in the way? I mean, these are serious cases, I'm guessing, if you're paging '911s' to everyone. So if they need immediate medical attention, I'll just be standing there, taking up room that the other doctors need. Plus, it's my day off, and if I can't help out downstairs, what's the point of even being here?"

"Look, Izzie, it's not like I can completely forget what happened with Denny Duquette. That was a _big_ slip-up, and I'm not going to sacrifice a patient's life just because you fear that you're going to be in the way. Go find Dr. Montgomery and be her intern for the day. I doubt there were any pregnant women in the accident. It was a small jet that crashed, and there were more fatalities than there were survivors. Plus, if the other interns have to work extra hours, you're going to do the same," he said.

I looked down. "Yes, Sir." I stood up to go find Addison.

When I got to the door, the Chief stopped me.

"However," he said, "if Dr. Montgomery has any surgeries scheduled, you'll be allowed to scrub in. You don't touch anything, you don't voice your opinion, but you'll _be_ there. And that sure as hell beats watching from the gallery."

My eyes lit up. "Thank you so much, Chief! You don't know how much this means to me, that you're starting to trust—"

"Dr. Stevens, get to it," he said.

"Right, right," I said as I walked out the door. "Thank you!" I exclaimed as I ran down the hallway to find Dr. Montgomery. "You won't regret this!"

I found Addison in the NICU, tending to her newest patient.

"Dr. Montgomery?"

She looked up, her glasses sliding down the bridge of her nose. "Oh, hi, Dr. Stevens. What're you doing here? Aren't there trauma patients downstairs?"

I nodded. "Yeah, but Chief told me to stick with you for the rest of the day and that if you have any surgeries, I can scrub in. I can't do anything, but I can scrub in instead of watching from the gallery."

"Okay," she said. "Well, this is Sara," she said, looking down at the adorable baby in the incubator.

_Sara. Perfect._

I looked down at the little girl, her beautiful blue eyes staring back up at me. I put my finger in the incubator to stroke her cheek, and she grabbed onto it, unwilling to let go.

"She's got a strong grip already," I said.

"Yeah," Addison smiled, "she's a fighter."

I picked up Sara's chart and read up on her. "She's got HLHS?" I asked.

"Unfortunately, she does."

"Are you going to do a Norwood or cardiac transplantation?" I asked, the last few words of my question getting quieter and quieter. All my thoughts of Denny came rushing back, the thoughts I tried to hide today for Hannah's sake. But I had to be strong…for everyone.

"I'm still waiting for the parents' decision. She was just born about an hour ago, so they've still got some time to decide. She's a candidate for the Norwood Procedure, so I know _I'd_ like for them to point towards that option, but it's not up to me."

I nodded. "Poor little girl," I said, her tiny hand holding my finger. "She just got here; look at all the problems she has already."

Addison looked down. "She's done nothing wrong, done nothing to deserve this, but it's happened. It's done. And there's no going back, now, is there?"

I looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Sara, Dr. Stevens, the baby we've been talking about for the past ten minutes," she said, putting her guard up.

"Addison—"

"_Dr. Montgomery_," she corrected.

"Dr. Montgomery, don't take this the wrong way, but I'm pretty positive you're not talking about Sara. You don't have to tell me what's wrong, but I'm here if you want to talk," I told her. I've said that a lot today, haven't I?

"I'm not going to tell you. I'm _so_ not going to tell you, and you know why? Because you're a gossip, Izzie. You're a gossip. And if I tell you, by the end of the day the whole hospital will know and that's _so_ not how I'd want them to find out," she said, her moodiness rubbing me the wrong way.

"Look, Dr. Montgomery, I don't know what I ever did to you. We were civil yesterday night. And I know that you're going through a lot these days, with the divorce, having Hannah here, and losing your sister and brother-in-law and all, but you have no right,_ no right_, to talk to me like that. I'm a different person now, and I've learned where gossip has gotten me. And trust me, it's not somewhere pleasant. So if you want to talk to me like that—fine. Do it. But I'm not going to listen because—"

"I'm pregnant! I'm pregnant and I don't know who the father is!"

* * *

**A/N: Oh, the drama! Addison's pregnant, but is the father Derek or Mark? How will Meredith react when she hears the news? Better yet, how will _everyone_ react? And how will Izzie prove to her superiors that she's ready to become a full-fledged doctor again? Stay tuned! Review, please!**


	14. Trust Me

**A/N: Hey, everyone! Thanks to everyone for being ever so patient with me while I try to find time to write. With school, work, and all, I'm pretty busy, and it's great to know that people appreciate my writing even if I'm not a big fan of it myself. I would have liked more reviews for the last chapter, but the alerts are being stupid, so I'll get over it.**

**This chapter's going to be different. I'm trying something new this time. I'm going to switch POV's, between Hannah and Izzie. Hope this doesn't corrupt the chapter's flow or the story's consistency. And, of course, I hope you like it!**

**And, unsurprisingly, you all know that I don't own Grey's Anatomy. If I did, it would be Thursday every day!**

**-Kaitlin**

* * *

**Izzie's POV**

"_I'm pregnant! I'm pregnant and I don't know who the father is!" _

I looked at Addison as I ran through the events of the past few days in my mind.

Hannah starts living with me. Addison tells me that she's Hannah's aunt. Hannah freaks out because Meredith and I have secrets we don't want her to find out. Addison gets drunk and tells me a little _too_ much information. And now she's _pregnant? _Seriously? This is what I get? A daughter who wants me to share my innermost feelings with her and a friend who got drunk while she's pregnant? I think it's time to special order a new life.

"You're pregnant and you don't know who the father is," I repeat back to her, as if saying it out loud would make the situation a bit clearer.

"_Yes_, Dr. Stevens, that's exactly what I said. And I'm sorry I snapped at you before but I can't take this any longer," she said.

"It's okay. I understand," I told her. "So, when did you find out?"

With a serious expression on her face, she glanced at her watch and said, "Four hours and thirty seven minutes ago."

I looked at her with a puzzled look on my face. "Oh, okay. Well, what're you going to do with it? You're not the type of person who would get an abortion, are you?"

"Oh, God, no. I don't think I could ever do that. I'm only a few weeks along so I have time to decide what the hell I'm going to do. It's just…I can't do this alone if it's Derek's. And if it's Mark's…I just don't see him as the fatherly type," she confessed.

"I know what you mean, Addison, I do. But you have a lot of people here to support you. You won't be in this alone," I reassured her.

She smiled up at me. "Thanks, Izzie. It means a lot. Really, it does."

I smiled back. "Well, it's what you said to me. You said that you'd be here and that I had everyone at the hospital by my side every step of the way with Hannah. So, for you, I'll be there. Who cares if the others can't see that you're really not…Satanic?"

Addison laughed. "Oh, but I am," she said with a smirk. However, her smirk quickly turned into a frown and she clutched her stomach. Addison shot up out of her seat and ran to the bathroom, located a few feet away. Sounds of retching could be heard all throughout the NICU, and I had to try hard not to listen.

"You okay, Dr. Montgomery?" I shouted to her.

She groaned from the bathroom.

I looked back down at the baby lying before me. She hadn't done anything to deserve the pain and suffering she was about to endure when it came time for her to have surgery. She latched onto my finger again and a slight smile formed on her tiny face. I stroked her cheek with my finger and watched her while Dr. Montgomery finished in the restroom.

A few minutes had gone by, but she still hadn't come out. I picked up a copy of _New England Journal of Medicine _and began to read an article about a splenectomy and cholecystectomy, done to correct Hereditary Spherocytosis, preformed at Yale New Haven Hospital.

And that's when I realized exactly where Adele took Hannah.

* * *

**Hannah's POV**

I followed Adele down the long hallways of Seattle Grace Hospital. It was the first time I truly had the chance to look around. It wasn't that bad, to tell you the truth, but in all actuality, I really didn't want to be there. The only thing I had my heart set on was hearing the rest of Izzie's story. I knew it was going to end badly, but it's the only way I'll be able to get through to her on an even deeper level.

Adele stopped in the middle of the hallway and turned to face me. "You hungry, Hannah?"

I shook my head. "No, we just came from lunch. Thanks, though."

"Oh, alright," she said. "But if there's anything you need, I'll be here."

I smiled. "Thank you," I said, and continued walking down the hallway. We stopped at room 2619, and a wave of confusion washed over my face.

"Adele, what're we doing here? Whose room is this?"

She smiled. "Why don't we go and take a look for ourselves?"

I shrugged my shoulders and stood back while she knocked on the door.

I heard a small voice say, "Come in," and she opened the door to reveal a tiny child with bright eyes, no more than five years old, sitting in bed watching cartoons.

A smile formed on her face when she saw Adele.

"Hi, Adele! What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Hi, sweetie," she said. "I brought a friend with me today. I thought you two would have fun together."

She sat up in bed, looked around the corner, and spotted me. She smiled, but then shied away.

I gave her a swift smile, tugged on Adele's shirt, and dragged her over to a corner of the room where the little girl couldn't see us.

"Adele, she's like…five. What am I supposed to do with her?" I asked.

"I guarantee you that she has the mentality of someone far older than five. Trust me on this one, okay?" she said.

I shrugged. "I guess so."

"Alright, well I'm going to go find Richard. I'll see you two later!" she said.

"Adele! Wait!" I exclaimed, but she was already gone.

The small voice piped up again. "Hello? Is someone there?"

I walked over to her so that she could finally see me. "Yeah, someone's here. I'm Hannah," I told her.

She smiled. "I'm Kara! I just had an operation a couple of days ago! Wanna see the scar?" she asked.

"Um…sure," I told her, fearing what she would do if I said no.

She lifted up her gown and showed me seven scars on her belly, one being in her belly button.

"That's awesome, Kara. Why'd you have an operation?" I asked, trying to make small talk. But was talking about an operation with a five year old considered small talk?

"I have Hereditary Spherocytosis," she said, "and I had to get my spleen and gallbladder taken out."

"Wow, sounds dangerous," I said.

"Yeah, well it's not. I'm fine, aren't I?"

"Yeah, you're fine," I said with a smile. "So, where are your parents?"

"They're working. My mommy is an accountant and my daddy works for the mayor of Seattle. I met him once, you know," she explained.

"Your dad?" I asked.

"No, silly! I met the mayor!"

I laughed. "Oh, right. So what were you doing before we came in?"

"Well, first I talked to Grandma on the phone. She called to wish me Happy Birthday. She said she would come to see me but she lives all the way in Connecticut! And that's really far away, and she's old. Mommy says she's not the world's greatest driver," she said, the last sentence coming out as more of a whisper.

"It's your birthday?"

She nodded.

"Happy birthday!" I exclaimed. "It's a shame your family isn't here, though."

She nodded again. "Yeah, but tomorrow I get to leave so it's all okay. My auntie sent me presents but I haven't opened them yet. Mommy said that I had to wait for her and Daddy to come back from work. So…I've been sitting here all day doing nothing and I'm really bored."

"Well, I'm sure you can find something to do."

"I have an idea! Let's color!" she exclaimed.

Coloring. I _hate_ coloring. But for Kara's sake, "I _love _coloring!" I grabbed a box of crayons and a pad of paper out from the drawer and we began to draw pictures. I made Kara a birthday card, equipped with pigs and cows. She seemed to really appreciate it, so she gave me the picture she was drawing. She claims that it was a picture of her house, but I just don't see it. I tend to see things glass half empty these days, and optimism isn't one of my strong points when it comes to my emotions.

I only try to seem optimistic. My therapist that I saw a few times after my parents were killed told me that behind my confident exterior, I'm self destructive and self loathing to an almost pathological degree.

Really does a number on boosting my self confidence, doesn't it?

* * *

**Izzie's POV**

I had been reading the magazine for a few minutes, but Addison still hadn't emerged from the bathroom. I could still hear her heaving into the toilet, a sure sign of pregnancy. _Lucky her._

I looked up at Sara's monitor and noticed that her heart rate was elevated, and it continued to rise.

I surveyed the room. No one was there except me.

"Dr. Montgomery? Sara's heart rate is rising. She needs you!" I screamed.

"I'm _busy_, Dr. Stevens. You can do this; I know you can," she said with a groan from the bathroom.

"I mean…I know what I'm doing. I just _can't_ do it. I'm not allowed," I said.

"Just _do_ it, Stevens. Would you rather get yelled at by the chief or let this little girl _die _because you were too scared of being reprimanded?" she asked as she heaved again.

And for the second time, my heartbeat is louder than the incessant ticking of the clock.

* * *

**So there you have it. Kara's back, Hannah is spending the day with her, Addison's experiencing morning sickness, and Izzie's freaking out because, once again, she's about to overstep the boundaries of her probation. Fun, eh? I'm sorry if this chapter sucks; I'm not a big fan of it but I felt awful that I hadn't updated in what seems like forever. Please forgive me:-)**

**And, most importantly, if you read this, _PLEASE REVIEW!_ All of your feedback is REALLY appreciated! Thanks!**


	15. Back In The Game

**Okay, pleaseeee don't hurt me for not updating in like a month. Let's backtrack, shall we? Within the last month, I've been sick twice (I'm still sick now), I had midterms, work has been insanely intense and long, and I've been stressing over next year's classes (when I probably should be stressing over the classes I'm in _now…_but I got into all honors and AP classes, so yeah! Junior year's going to be _fun, _and stressful, too). So yeah, you can believe my excuses or you can come hunt me down. Either one is good. Except I'd prefer choice one, but you can pick whatever you want. So…on to the chapter. Hope you like it!**

**-Kaitlin**

* * *

**Izzie's Point of View**

"_Dr. Montgomery? Sara's heart rate is rising. She needs you!" I screamed._

"_I'm busy, Dr. Stevens. You can do this; I know you can," she said with a groan from the bathroom._

"_I mean…I know what I'm doing. I just can't do it. I'm not allowed," I said._

"_Just do it, Stevens. Would you rather get yelled at by the chief or let this little girl die because you were too scared of being reprimanded?" she asked as she heaved again._

_And for the second time, my heartbeat is louder than the incessant ticking of the clock._

Time stopped, and I felt as if I couldn't move. My brain was reeling with possibilities. _What if I mess up? What if I can't do this? This poor little girl, she's going to die and it's all my fault. It's all my fault because I was too damn nervous to take control of the situation. _

It felt weird being the one in control again. I've been an observer who hasn't been able to take initiative for quite some time. And now that I get to call the shots, it's like I'm in a whole different world. A parallel universe. But the thing is…I can't seem to find my way back down to Earth.

So it's to my surprise when I find myself grabbing vials of medicine and injecting them into Sara's IV. And it's a huge shocker when I see that her heart rate is slowing down to a normal pace.

But why was it that my heart seemed to be racing?

In a trance, I walked over to the conveniently placed rocking chair, and plopped down on it. I was still in a daze from all the commotion, but when I heard the sound of the toilet flushing and the sink running, I snapped back to reality.

Addison rushed out of the bathroom, eager to help in case of an emergency. To her surprise, Sara's vitals were pristine and the one with the elevated heart rate was me.

She smiled. "You did it."

I nodded as I replied. "I did it."

"How's it feel, you know, to be back in the game?" she asked me.

"Honestly, I don't know what I'm feeling. I was scared that I was going to mess up and give her the wrong medicine or the wrong dosage. And I kind of spaced out and didn't realize what I was doing until it was over. But she's okay, and that's all that matters. I did a good thing," I said. "I saved her."

Addison smiled at me, and then at the baby. "You did, Izzie. You saved her," she said. "But she's not the only one."

"What? What're you talking about?" I asked.

"Well, think about it. You saved Sara, but in doing that, you saved yourself," she told me.

The only thing I could do was smile.

* * *

**Hannah's Point of View**

After Kara and I finished coloring, she designated it 'talking time'. She considered us best friends, and although I hadn't planned on being a five-year-old's best friend any time soon, she wasn't half bad once you got past the nonstop chattering and perkiness. But then again, I was the exact same way at Kara's age, so I really couldn't blame her.

She decided that she wanted to know all about me. Where I was from, why I was here, what I was going to do in the future. For a five year old, she was pretty deep. And despite the unfathomable age difference (it's a known rule that pre-teens _do not _speak with five-year-olds), I found myself becoming protective over her. And I know that once Izzie finds out she's going to tell me that it's adorable that I befriended a patient of hers, but I'm going to tell her that it sucks. It sucks because, just like everything else in my life, she's going to be taken away from me. It's like I can't become attached to anything anymore, because I live in constant fear that it's going to leave me. Just like Izzie did almost twelve years ago, and just like my parents did now.

But I'm hopeful that now, as I embark on my journey with Izzie and her friends, that I'll find stability and a real family that I'll be able to hold onto forever.

And that's all I ever wanted in the first place.

"Han_nah_!" Kara shrieked.

I snapped out of my daze. "Yeah, Kara?"

"You weren't paying 'tention to me. I asked you a question," Kara said, trying to seem angry. It wasn't working.

"Sorry. What'd you ask me?"

"I asked you if you had a mommy."

I stiffened. _How do I answer that? _I paused for a moment before answering.

"Yes, Kara, I have a mommy. I have two, come to think of it."

Her eyes widened. "You have _two_ mommies? That's so cool! How come I don't got two mommies?"

"Because, Kara, I'm different. Have you ever heard of the word 'adopted'?"

She nodded. "My friend at school said he was adopted. His real mommy didn't want him anymore so she let another mommy take care of him."

"Yeah, well I'm adopted. And my real mommy gave me up when I was born, but not because she didn't want me; she just couldn't take care of me like she would have wanted to. So I was adopted by a nice family when I was born and they raised me," I told her. "But now my adoptive mommy and daddy are in heaven, and I'm living with my real mommy again," I said, a small tear escaping from my eye.

"They're in heaven? Why?"

"They…they died in a car wreck," I said, my once scattered tears turning into sobs.

Kara scooted over in bed and allowed me to climb in with her. She gave me a big hug, as big as a tiny child could give, and she reassured me that everything would be alright.

And because of her, and her loving ways, I realized that everything really _was_ going to be alright in the end.

Of course, at the ripe old age of five, Kara didn't have much of an attention span. Her loving hugs ended abruptly as she asked me if I was ready to talk again. I agreed, and embarked upon quite an adventure.

But one question in sparked a conversation that really hit home.

"Hannah, how long have you been living with your real mommy?"

"Not too long. I like _just_ moved in. Why?"

She looked at me sideways. "Do you love her?"

"Do I love her?"

"Yeah, do you love her?

I paused for a second. "Yes. Yes, I love her very much. I'm so happy that I have the chance to get to know her, and the opportunity is more than I could have ever asked for."

"That's nice. I'm happy you're happy," she told me. "Let's watch TV now."

I giggled. "Yeah, it is nice. And I'll watch _only_ if you let me pick the show."

"_Fine_," she said, "but it better be something good. Cause my daddy always watches the news when I'm in the room and it's _boring_."

"I promise I won't put the news on," I said, standing up to grab the remote. But when I stood up and walked towards the table where the remote was resting, I faced the door. And standing in the doorway was the one person who I'd been waiting to see all day: Izzie.

She stood there, tears glistening in her eyes, and I knew she had heard what I had said. She motioned for me to come toward her. I did, and she pulled me into a warm hug. A loving hug. A motherly hug.

"I love you, too, Hannah. _So much. _And I promise I'll never let you go."

* * *

**Short, I know, but it ties up some loose ends. Hope you liked it! And I'm going to try a lot harder to get these updates out to you at a faster rate, as long as reality listens and doesn't get in my way. **

**REVIEW and I'll love you forever. Feedback is ALWAYS appreciated!!!**


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